


The boy in the forest

by JAKishu



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 104th Training Corps - Freeform, Big Sister Mikasa, Cat, Cute Eren Yeager, Fall of Wall Maria, Gen, Human Experimentation, Hurt Eren Yeager, Hurt Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Parent Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Protective Eren Yeager, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Titan Eren Yeager, Titan Shifters, Trost Arc (Shingeki no Kyojin), big brother armin, expedition - Freeform, kid Eren, outside the wall, titan shifter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:41:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 51
Words: 44,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28896057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JAKishu/pseuds/JAKishu
Summary: Levi is saved by a titan and is taken care of in his forest. A strange titan that is also a child. Survival is the first thing in his mind, second is to teach that kid how to probably clean itself. Disgusting dirty hand it has.
Relationships: Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager, Erwin Smith & Eren Yeager, Levi & Eren Yeager, Levi & Erwin Smith, Levi & Hange Zoë, Mikasa Ackerman & Armin Arlert & Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager
Comments: 282
Kudos: 988
Collections: Start Reading





	1. Hope

Levi can already see the forest with its giant trees reaching as far as the wall into the sky, only a few hundred meter left and he will be save. The only problem he has no horse. Wait more then one problem, he has no horse, his last blade is broken, as is one of his arms and his right foot is at least sprained. He has two titans of the 7-meter class and one 10-meter chasing him. No one of his team is left alive and he has no idea where Erwin and the rest of the Survey Corps was.

Cold sweat appears on his skin and if he wouldn’t be so busy surviving he would feel disgusted by it. Right know he has other problems and his chance to survive grows smaller with every meter the titans come closer. With every step the pain shoots though his body. Black spots appear on his vision, Levi holds his broken arm close to his body with the hand that is still holding on to his last blade. If there were any trees on the way he could try to use his gear, his gas wasn’t used up but without any way to use it the gear was as useless as his foot that slows him down.

With every step Levi questions his will to survive, he isn’t sure right now. The loss of Furlan and Isabel is still fresh, but he had decided to live on, to life for them, to not let their deaths be … nothing. Their death can´t be nothing. If so, Levi would lose the last bit of hope, not even the endless blue sky outside the wall and away from the underground city could held him here without this tiny piece of believe he still has left.

The ground under his feet moves like and earthquake but it only tells Levi that the titans close in on him, he doesn’t look back. His last picture of this cruel world will not be one of their ugly faces. It will be the forest with the mountains in the back, the birds and the blue sky he and his friends have fought for and some had paid the price with their lives.

“Just a few meters.” Levi spits out the words between his teeth. Maybe to motivate himself, maybe because he really believes he can reach the trees or just maybe in hope someone would appear and save him. He never liked to rely on others, his friends from the underground were different, special. They were like him, growing up in a world without a sky, constant darkness, fear and violence. No one on top would ever understand growing up in the claustrophobic world of the underground city. Some days Levi himself can´t believe that he is outside that he can watch the sunrise and the starry night and he will be dammed when his journey ends here. “Just a few more steps, come on.”

Suddenly birds rise in the sky as if they had been frightened. That what had them frightened was right in front of him. Between the trees first hidden in the shadows, than entering the sunlight runs a titan towards him. A 15-meter class one and he is blocking away the only way out that Levi has. With titans surrounding him he has no chance, not to reach the trees, not fighting with a broken blade. He was done.

Sinking to his knees Levi looks up, a black bird flies above him and he closes his eyes. Nothing left to do. The pain was leaving him with the tension that Levi had kept his body moving. Behind his closed eyes he sees Isabels smiling at him, laughing as he finally mastered one of his tricks, proud of her achievement. Next to him is Furlan, looking as proud as Levi feels, catching him in a one-armed hug, they celebrate their life, finding even in the darkest places light. His lights had been gone, taken away and he hadn’t let anyone else close to him.

A sudden crash pulls Levi out of the darkness behind his closed eyes. The titan that had come from the forest had disappeared. Turning around he finds him smashing another titans head off. Tearing out the nape of the second titan and stumping on the last ones neck until the steam appears. After the three titans were defeated a monstrous roar left the titans body and in the silence that followed you could hear a pin hit the floor.

The titan turns around and brilliant green eyes focus on him. If Levi had any fight or strength left in his body he would get up and fight but he can´t. Surprisingly it isn’t really his condition or the lack of weapons, it’s the titan´s eyes. They look at him, they see him but there is no hunger, these eyes are the eyes of an intelligent being who had just saved him and this being walks over slowly towards him. His instincts scream at him to get up and to fight but this titan wasn’t going to eat him. That was the only clear thought that reaches Levi´s mind. This titan isn’t going to eat me. Before unconscious can pull him down completely he feels himself being picked up carefully by the titan and carried in his hands after that Levi falls into darkness.


	2. Up in the trees

Today is a good day. Eren can feel it the second he wakes up. Something fantastic and exciting will happen today. As he wakes up, high above the ground he walks on down the branch to his favourite sun spot. The sunshine finds its way directly on this branch where he has a good seat and can enjoy the early hours of the day.

While sitting in the sun, getting all the energy he will need for today out of it he listens to the birds in the trees, seeing some fly up into the blue sky. On the ground there are a few animal like rabbits, dears and one big boar. No big ones today. At least until now. This is his forest and every big one that wants to enter and take it has to fight with him about it. Finding that he is done sunbathing Eren makes his way down and changes from bis little into his big form, walking though his forest. The border of his territory has to be secure. He doesn’t want them to even enter, they always make a mess of his forest. Sometimes they hunt little ones. That is not good. You have to protect the little ones, you don’t hurt smaller ones just for fun. Because that’s what they do, Eren knows the big ones don’t need the little ones to survive, they only need the sun. The little ones always go to sleep too fast when the big ones catch them. It makes Eren sad, often he finds the little ones bodies and buries them inside his forest to make sure the big ones don’t eat them. Rarely the little ones find their way into his forest, they would be save here but most sleep forever before they reach him. Sometimes he tries to stop the big ones but none of the little ones keeps on long enough for reaching them.

Eren´s eyes catch a flash of light in the distance. Far away he sees three big ones but what caught his eyes are not the running big one but the little one, walking towards his forest. The little one isn’t fast at all and the big ones will catch up soon. So Eren runs. This time he will help the little one before he fells asleep forever. Eren doesn’t like it when their little chest stop moving and the sound of a beating heart is missing.

His feet carry him over the field and he jumps over the little one who had stopped moving. The big ones are down in seconds with a loud roar he let everyone that can hear him know that no one is to come closer to this place when they want to live. Eren has a lot of training in taking the big ones out, they never listen and he is satisfied as he turns around to find the little one looking at him. Chest moving and heart beating. The little one looks hurt and dirty, carefully not to hurt his little one Eren picks him up and carries him in one hand, holding his other hand protective over it.

After reaching the forest Eren notice that the little one fell asleep but not like all the others, this little one was still moving. Securing his grip on him Eren climbs up to his tree where he can take the little one and let him rest safely.

They reach the top branch that was still thick enough to support Eren´s weight as he let the little one down. Eren takes a deep breath and let the back of his nap open to climb out. His big form starts to dissolve the second he leaves and he jumps down right next to the sleeping little one. Now he is little too and can take care of the big one. Careful not to hurt the little one further Eren touches the sleeping body. A few places were warmer than the others, that are the ones that aren’t good. One arm is bend in the wrong way and with the help of a big stick and the fabric of one of the green clothing pieces he collected over the year Eren fixes up the arm. He had learned a loot about injuries to the time he wasn’t alone. Not like now, now he is alone in his forest except for his little one. The other hurt part is under boots, so Eren pulls them off and fixes the foot.

Happy with his work Eren places a cloak over the sleeping body and sits on his favourite spot before falling asleep. The sun will wake him up in the morning and Eren smiles at his little one. Tomorrow he will wake up not alone.


	3. I don’t eat humans

Levi wakes up and isn’t sure where he is, the only thing he is sure of is that his body hurts. It has to be the early hours of the morning and the leaves above his eyes tell him he is under a tree. Slowly feeling what´s beneath him he is sure it’s the bark of a tree. How he had ended up on a tree is a good question. He hadn’t move much to avoid attention from close by predators but after a few minutes of silence he decides to get a good reading of his surroundings. Without using his broken arm Levi sits up and notice first that someone had taken care of his injuries, quite professionally even and that he is covered in his own cloak.

Before Levi can get any more information about his surrounding the sound of a happy child reaches his ears and that can´t be right. There are no children outside of the wall. Before his mind can wrap itself around the thought that he might be inside already as brown-haired, green-eyed boy stops in front of him. “Awake.” The boy shouts jumping up and down again. “First one to wake up.” The smile that was on the boy´s face irritates Levi and annoys him.

“Hey brat. Stop jumping.” His voice sounds harsh and Levi notice for the first time that he is thirsty. The boy stops jumping, calms down and sits down.

“You wake up. Makes me happy.” Levi looks at the child, he guesses that he is around 9 or 10 years, he wears dirty shorts and one of the green Survey Corps cloaks around his shoulders. In no reality is that a soldier.

“Where are we?” He questions because he has no other choice then to take the boy as his source of information, seeing that they are surrounded by trees and sadly Levi knows there is no forest like this inside the walls.

“You are in my forest. Found you and took you away from big ones.” Big ones? The boy means the titan, most likely. “Made your hurt better and keep you warm in the night.” His speech was slightly off but for someone who lives in the woods its very good. “I protect little one.” Again a wide grim appears.

“Hey brat, I am not little.” The look of confusion passes the child´s face.

“Are you a big one like me? You grow to big one too?” Levi has no idea what he means. Maybe the boy doesn’t know the difference between humans and titans. Not likely but he has to make sure. Levi sighs.

“What you call little ones are humans. I am a human, you are a human. The big ones are titans. They eat humans.” The confusion mostly disappears. “What´s your name brat and do you live alone?”

“Eren. My name is Eren and I live in my forest. You are first little one … I mean human that came since big human is gone.” Big human must be the child´s parent, maybe. Levi can´t be sure.

Levi´s stomach makes a sound and he remembers he hasn’t eaten in a while, he is also thirsty. “My name is Levi and where can I get something to eat and drink.” He doesn’t want to sound so aggressive, but he is in pain and this ray of sunshine of a child is getting on his nerves.

“Want to eat?” The boy looks confused again. “Oh you mean sun. Don’t you like your spot? You can have my favourite place over there.” The boy points at the part of the branch that is completely in sunshine.

“What the hell. I mean food. Bread, vegetables, meat you know food.” Maybe that child isn’t as bright as he thought.

“You eat humans?” The child looks surprised, disgusted and wary at the same time. “Little ones eat other little ones?”

“What no. Of course not.” How could the child think something like that? Although if he had lived outside the wall and doesn’t know the difference between humans and titans, maybe he understands meat as human flesh. “Something like rabbits or birds. Smaller animals.” Seeing that this child is most likely his only chance to survival he has to make sure he is probably understood.

“You don’t eat humans?” Levi nods. “But you eat small creatures with fur and feathers?” Ok when you make it sound like that … but he needs it to survive, titans eat for fun or whatever reason.

“Yes, I need food to survive and water. Is there a river close by to fill up this flask.” Levi had found his flask already emptied before the titans attacked.

Before he gets an answer the ground under his body moves slightly. “Titans come too close. I will take care of them.”

“Wait what.” But it doesn’t matter, the child, Eren just jumped down the branch and as Levi watches he bits into his hand. A flash of lightning struck and after the bright light disappears a titan stands at the same place. The same titan that had saved him. Shocked and too confused he watches as the titan turns toward him waves and walks away.

Only to appear again, minutes later with steaming blood on him. Against his will Levi tries to move away from the titan, who starts to climb up the tree. As the large arm reaches the branch Levi was sitting on steam appears on his nape and the child, Eren climbs out and lands safely before the body of the titan dissolves.


	4. Misunderstanding

Happy that it was only one titan that came close to his forest Eren returns to his new human. He had leaned new words today. Human and Titan. Now he can name them probably and he wouldn’t confuse others anymore. No, he has to find out what his little human, Levi he said his name is wants. The concept of food is still strange. He knows the titans are eating humans for some reason but not because they need it. He is a titan and doesn’t need it sun is all he needs but humans seems to need something. Water from the river will be the first thing he brings his human.

Surprisingly, he isn’t as welcome as before. The human smells like a mix of fear and something he can’t identify. The broken shiny thing that he uses to fight (Eren had seen it before) is pointed at him. Maybe he can get Levi a new one. “Stay away from me.” Eren stops, why is the human shouting at him. It is different from before. Before Eren would say the human was annoyed, in pain and stressed. Now he is aggressive and ready to fight.

“Why?” Eren hadn’t notice that he asked the question out lout.

“Why? Because you are a titan.” That makes no sense.

“No, I am human now. Look I am little.” Eren points at his body. “Big ones are titans you said I am not a big one right now.” As Eren takes one step closer he is threatened with the broken thing. He sights maybe the human needs new ones before he feels ok. Without further explanation Eren jumps down and turns into a titan again. He walks to the cave he stored all the things he finds on the forever-sleeping humans and takes a few of the shiny metal things with him. They look clean and are sharp. He also finds one of the flask that Levi had shown him and fills it on the river with water before he returns to his human.

Climbing up the tree with his hands full isn’t easy but he puts his treasures on the branch and climbs out of his titan form. Eren picks up the metal things, careful not to cut himself and the water and brings it over to Levi. “Look here are new shiny things and water.” Proud to find a new look on the human´s face Eren smiles.

“Where did you find the blades?” Eren looks at the shiny things. They called blades. Interesting.

“I have them with the other things the forever-sleeping don’t need anymore.” It isn’t very nice to say it like that but it´s the truth.

“Forever-Sleeping?” Levi´s eyes become even smaller than before. Maybe he doesn’t like it when humans go to sleep forever.

“When I am not fast enough and titans already hurt them or when I find them around the forest. I make sure they don’t move anymore and burry them. The humans sleep forever in graves.” Grave, a word he had learned a long time ago. “Titans are not allowed to eat human. I protect little ones.” Eren pushes his chest up a bit to show Levi that he is strong. Slowly the broken blade is going down and Levi looks at Eren as if he had never seen him before.

“You protect little ones.” Levi huffs and takes the water Eren brought him. Eren is happy that his human accepts his bringing.


	5. The “good” titan

Levi has no choice if he wants to survive. This strange creature that was neither human nor titan, or both is his only chance to survive. Hanji would have the best day in her life if their position where swapped. He sighs and takes the water that is offered and drinks it. He also takes the offered blades, you never know when you going to need them. It seems by taking the stuff the brat had brought him Levi makes him happy. His stomach makes another sound and Eren, the titan in human form or whatever jumps up.

“I will find meat and fruits and bread?” Before Levi could stop him the boy rans away, he is pretty sure Eren has no idea what bread is. But it didn’t take long for him to return. The sun is already pass the highest position but the day has many more hours of sunlight left. Wrapped up in another green cloak Eren returns. After hearing about the graveyard Levi isn’t really sure what to think about it. It sounds as if this titan collects the bodies of his fallen comrades and buried them so other titans can´t eat them and he is the first one that is saved alive by him. Not the best thought.

“Found food.” Eren places the cloak down and opens it. There are a lot of things inside, not all of it is food. Looking at his leg and arm Levi decides to teach the brat something.

“This is food. Levi points at an apple. This is not food and pints at something that looks like a haired root dig out of the ground.” Levi collects everything that looks eatable and everything else he pushes to the side. He notices that Eren is watching every of his moves, also trying to remember everything. The last item is a dead black bird. He had never eaten one before but he wouldn’t say no to meat. “Not bad brat but to eat meat I need fire.” Eren seems to understand what that means because he already runs away to get whatever he things they need for fire. It is unnerving how much the kid moves and jumps but seeing that he is stuck up here he is thankful.

Levi starts eating a few of the fruits while thinking about Eren. Who is the child? Where did it come from? How can it change into a titan or is he a titan and can change into a human? Who taught him to speak and where are they now? Many questions fill his mind but he decides that they can wait. First of all he needs to heal up. Than he can start a plan to return inside the walls. He will need Eren´s help with that. Levi doubt that anyone would believe that he is still alive. They already have put his name on the long list of soldiers that lost their lives outside the walls.

Looking around Levi feels for the first time how he relaxes. He is outside the claustrophobic walls but he doesn’t have to fight and run every seconds. He can breath and enjoy his freedom. Maybe its not so bad being saved by a titan-human thing whatever. He really needs to find out what Eren is.

The sound of the returning titan pulls Levi out of his daydreaming. He carries a few rocks, lots of sticks big and small ones and another cloak full of sand. Very professionally is a perfect fire place created. And with a bit help of his firestones the sticks catch fire and Levi starts preparing the bird with his pocketknife. Eren watches him closely, he is probably still fascinated by the concept of food and that meat doesn’t mean humans.

After eating Levi feels the best he can expect in this situation. The only thing missing is a bath but after trying to explain it to Eren he gives up. The concept of washing seems too strange for the creature.

As the sun goes down Levi decided that he can try again tomorrow, not today. He will survive another day in his sweaty cloths even when it is disgusting.

Eren seems to sleep on the sunspot he offered Levi this morning. He just lay down and closes his eyes. “Good night little one.”

“Good night disgusting brat.” Tomorrow they will find a way to get washed up.


	6. Bath and Death

Eren has no idea what a bath is or why he needs washing but after a very intense glare of Levi and his ORDER to take him to the closed body of water he just ignored it and changes into his big form. He can see the vary eyes of his human as he carefully lifts him up and places him secure into his hand. The closed thing to what Levi wants is a river that crosses his forest, as they arrive Levi tells him to come out and so he does. Eren knows he can change fast enough to protect his little one from other titans. He also places fresh and clean clothes on the riverbank. Levi has made him get them after Eren explained that he has lots of clothes.

“Let´s go brat. Take off your disgusting clothes and into the water.” Levi pointing at the stream while taking off his own clothes.

“But I was told that little ones, ahm I mean humans wear clothes, its not right to walk around naked.” Levi looks at him as if he wants to ask something but changes his minds.

“Yes, that’s right but humans take off their clothes for changing and washing, something we will do now. Be glad I have a bare of soap with me or that would be far worse for you.” Eren decided he will learn what soap is and takes off his shorts and the green cloak with the wings he loves so much.

Levi is already in the water rubbing his arms and chest with something white, parts of the white thing stay on his body as bubbles. “What are you doing.” Levi takes a step back and winces at the weight his injured leg has to take suddenly.

“Don’t surprise me like that.” He growls.

“You make your wrappings wet, we have to do them again.” Eren looks worried at his work form their first day.

Levi´s grey eyes watch him strangely. “Get into the water. We will do them later.” Eren listens just because he has no better idea of what washing means until Levi starts to put the white thing on his skin and to start rubbing it all over his body. The second Eren even tries to move away or end the whole thing he is hold back. “Stop moving you dirty thing. I have to get rid of year-old layers of dirt. It takes some time and if you had taken your time to clean yourself before I came it wouldn’t be so bad. So stop moving brat.” Eren growls at him and he earns himself a slap on the back of his head for it. “Stop growling at me and on that matter no biting or something like that. Understand.”

Eren decided in that moment he hates washing and if this is a bath he hates that too. Huffing and ignoring Levi who starts rubbing the white thing called soap over his back. As Levi says he is as clean as he can get Eren jumps out of the water shake his whole body like a dog and runs over to his clothes.

“Wait, don’t put the dirty ones on. We brought clean ones. And by clean I mean not as dirty as these old ones you wear. Clean is something else.” So Eren doesn’t take his normal clothes. He waits for Levi to come out of the water. Levi uses another green cloak to dry himself off, like he explains to Eren before he is attacked by him to get dry. What a useless use of energy. The sun will dry him and anyway they wouldn’t have to dry of if they just stayed out of the water. “Here wear them.” Eren is given a pair of pants and a shirt.

“I want a cloak. I want my wings.” Something flashes up in Levi´s eyes together with a small smile.

“You get your wings just take on these first. Okay.” He sounds a bit different, Eren would say softer, nicer than before. Before Levi could get another idea of washing or bathing Eren takes his clothes and takes them on. Taking them off means bathing. The last piece of clothing is a new cloak. Levi had been surprised in a sad way as he saw his large collection. He didn’t count them but before hey left he took the wings from the brown uniform parts. From all of them. They are secure in a little back on his blet. So many of them.

“What are you doing with the wings you have taken?” Eren is just curious. He doesn’t understand the meaning of it because it seems they are very important.

“I take them with me for when I return inside the walls. Their families want to have them, it will give them …” Levi looks at him. “You don’t know what death means right?” Eren shakes his head. “Your forever-sleeping people are dead. They won´t wake up. They will never return home to their families. They are gone and no one can bring them back. For the people that are left behind it means pain. A loss that can not be forgotten or made better in anyway. The people that lose someone can learn to live with it but it hurts.” The grey eyes of his human are filled with sadness. Something Eren feels sometimes when he is lonely but this sadness is far worse it seems. “The wings could give a few of this people that are left behind something to hold on. Something to believe in. It won´t make it good in anyway but maybe the hurt will be less … crushing.”

Eren just nods. He thinks he knows what death is. It is most likely what his other companion happened. They are gone and then you are alone. The forever-sleeping are dead too. So his graveyard is a place where the dead can sleep forever. Hopeful they have found peace.


	7. Living arrangements

The next weeks flew by and without boring paperwork and incompetent training sessions Levi finds himself enjoying his stay. His foot is healed up by the end of the second week and he starts running together with Eren through the forest. His arm is still secured in the surprisingly professional wrapping the little titan provides. He told him his big human, a man that lived with him as he was small taught him how to do it.

In the morning Levi watches Eren sit in the sun to get all powered up as he called it. After that they go to the river. Levi sees how his companion isn’t a huge fan of bathing but after the first traumatic time Levi told him it will get better and it did. A daily routine of getting cleaned let the boy shine in a new light. Thanks to his collection of military uniforms, they have enough clothes. Most of them sizes too big for both of them. The few they find get a good wash in the river and dry in the sun for the later us.

They find some kind of food for Levi and Eren is watching him how he prepares the animals he catches for his human as the little brat started to call him. Levi doesn’t mind that the boy is also a titan. This understanding hits him one morning as he watches Eren play with a butterfly. This child is as innocent as ever other 10 year old you will find inside the wall. Maybe not in the underground but above the ground the children still have this naivety inside their souls. Not all, Levi knows this world can be cruel and more often than not it’s the children that pay the price for it. Still he had seen children like this. With eyes huge and filled with hopes and dreams, wishes for a future that most won´t have.

The fight against titan´s takes countless lives, young lives of soldiers that aren’t ready to die. Whenever he thinks about it his two friends appear in front of his closed eyes. He had failed them and since they died, he hadn’t felt whole. Not that a few weeks in titan filled lands would magically cure him. It is Eren who just ignores every wall and boundary Levi had build up to protect his heart from further hurt. The boy just ignores them, gives him a hug when he feels like it even when Levi pushes him away (most times) but still gets a smile out of him, something he nearly forget how to do, smiling. Eren smiles and laughs and is still deeply invested in this world. A world outside the walls where death is around every corner, where the boy makes himself a target to fight titans to protect his little human. The sudden thought of leaving the boy behind is unbearable and Levi knows when he returns inside the walls, because face it, he can´t hide out here forever, he will take the boy with him. Hopefully the brat wants to follow him inside a world who will see him as the enemy.

Thinking of a way to hide the whole titan thing end the second Eren just transforms to run off somewhere, most likely killing titans. He does is smoothly and without break of thought and explaining him that he couldn’t do that inside the wall or around other people would be no use. He can see that the titan form is as his human form just him. Hanji will be on board taking the kid in, probably using him for some science experiments he would have to put a stop on it. How he would convince Erwin that the boy is no threat is a book with seven seals.

Eren returns, climbing out of the titan and continues to watch Levi preparing food for himself. He has to make a decision soon. He can´t sit here forever and just wait for something to happen. He has to return, fight titans that taken his friends and protect Eren. Levi stops in his motion of skinning a rabbit. Protecting Eren? Does he really feel about the brat like he feels about Isable and Furlan? Looking in the shining green eyes in front of him Levi finds the answer very quickly. Yes he does.

“Eren?” The boy looks up.

“That is the first time you call me by my name.” He smiles.

Levi sighs and lays down the knife. “When I return to the wall, to the other humans. Do you want to come with me?” Eren looks at him as if he had asked a stupid question.

“Of course. How else will you reach the wall and how would I protect you when you are far away. I protect my little human.” Again with the nickname not that Levi was better but that isn’t the topic right now.

“You know that many humans won´t like that you can change into a titan and you wouldn’t be allowed to do it without being told to. Most likely never inside the wall. Some people will do experiments on you or want to lock you away.” He doesn’t want this and Levi promised silently to prevent anything of these things he had said to happen to his little friend.

“I don’t mind as long as I am with you. I like you. You are nice to me, I know you like me too. So that´s enough.” Another sigh escapes Levi. To innocent for this world.

“We will go as soon as my arm is healed up. Ok.” Eren nods and as Levi starts the skinning again he feels the green eyes following every of his movements.


	8. The way to the wall begins

Levi lied. They don’t leave when his arm is health. Eren knows that his arms is all healed up for days but still they don’t leave. It is as if his little human is afraid to leave and somehow I think it is because of me. He doesn’t know how he will protect me inside the wall and most likely doubts that they even reach Wall Maria. Eren knows a lot about the wall and the people that live inside of it. Levi taught him. He uses hours every day to teach him things. Eren loves their time together. Most of it, bathing is still bad but even that is different inside the wall. Levi says they have warm water and the soap is softer and smells nicer when he wants to. That would be nice maybe the soap will taste nicer too. The white stuff doesn’t taste very good. Levi told him also about the rules inside, about the military and he promised to teach him how to fly as soon as they arrived. They started already but Levi told him that they have to save the gas, there is no way to fill it up outside. That´s ok for Eren, Levi said he can do already the most important things. Keeping his balance and a trained flexible body, that is strong enough to keep up with the movement.

The morning is quiet, Eren can feel Levi´s eyes on him while the titan boy sits on his favourite branch, enjoying the sunlight. “I think we should go to the wall. Today.” Eren looks at him and isn’t completely sure what he is seeing because one of the feelings he can see in Levi´s eyes is sadness, why should his little human be sad when he is going home? He also looks conflicted and this feeling is purely because of him.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I will protect you from the titans and you protect me from the humans.” Levi looks at me for a second before he offers me a smile. Yes, this solution came to him this morning. They both can´t change the humans or titans around them but they can protect each other, living and fighting for a world were they both are free and no longer alone and lonely.

“Good brat, get your things, we are leaving.” With things he means whatever Eren wants to take with him but except for his winged cloak, there is nothing he needs. He has Levi and that’s enough.

“I´m ready.” Levi back in his original uniform, with his own cloak, the back filled with cut out wing batches and his gear is also ready. They talked about it and the best way to do that is for Eren in his titan form carrying Levi as far as possible back towards the wall. Everything else they will figure out as soon as they reach the prison humans have locked themselves in.

They reach the end of the forest and Eren changes into his titan form and Levi jumps down on his shoulders. “The wall will be in that direction.” Levi points out after getting a good view of the area. It’s the way he came all this weeks ago, thinking he will die in the hands of there three titans until Eren appears.

The titan starts to walk and Levi feels sentinel as he looks back at their home. Living in the forest had been easy. The titans were no problem thanks to Eren and Levi felt as if most of the giants didn’t even try to enter this area. They had food and water (for him) and the cold river water for their bathing wasn’t as bad. But still they had to leave eventually. Still Levi will miss this innocent time with Eren.

Levi faces away from the forest, looking forward into the direction Eren is running. He has to protect this child. He will never again let anyone die that means so much to him. “Eren listen. As soon as we get close to the wall or meet other people you have to protect you nap, understand?” Eren nods and makes a growling sound that comes deep from inside his chest. “Whatever they do, don’t fight, protect yourself and I will talk to them. Do as I say and everything will be fine.” Suddenly Eren starts to purr. “And stop that purring, you are like some stupid cat.” A sound that can only be interpreted as a laugh leaves Eren. “Fine do whatever you want but listen to me and when I tell you to run, we run. I would prefer living outside the wall then seeing you hurt.” Green eyes fix on him and Levi touches the titans cheek. They understand each other. Living without the other had become something none of them can imagine anymore.


	9. The missing soldier

Erwin Smith has a lot of plans for the future. His version of a future doesn’t conflict with his mission, he is a soldier and he will continue to be a soldier. In his years of living he has seen many things. He has walked his path while to the sides the bodies of his fallen soldiers pile up. He sees their faces when death reaches them, but to go further he has to go on, letting them behind him. So their dead eyes can only see his back.

One of these soldiers sting a bit more than the others. Erwin had thought together with Levi he could reach his goal faster, easier. Even after the death of his two friends, Levi stayed, he continued to fight but now he is only one of the dead bodies that he had left behind.

It is afternoon and after a day like today Erwin feels how he gets tired more easily. The day had already cost the lives of a few soldiers. This expedition should be different, they left with less soldiers to be a smaller target, still the titan´s found them. Until they the night falls its still a few hours and Erwin isn’t sure they will make it if another group of titans attacks them.

The signal of another titan came not a minute after he had thought about it. Black smoke, not good. “Sir, something is wrong.” Erwin looks at the soldier next to him and follows his eyes. He had seen the titan but what the soldier is referring to is not the titan, it is something that the titan does. Form the distance Erwin would say it is a 15-meter call titan, looking closer he sees that the titan has one hand on the back of his neck while the other is waving at them. Waving never before had a titan waved. They slow down and see that the titan is sitting down and a small figure is standing on the titan´s head. A figure in a green cloak with two swords in his hands. Waiting for them. The titan doesn’t move and has now both hands behind on his neck. “Erwin, that is Levi.” His eyes leave the figure for a second as they fix on the soldier on his other side, Hanji Zoe is starring directly at the small figure. “He found me a titan.” Hanji nearly shrieks and stars pushing her horse to a faster pace.

“Don’t go too close. No one gets closer to the titan. That is an order.” The last part was mostly for Hanji, the other soldier don’t want to get closer to any titan. Looking around them there is no other giant walking around. Only the sitting titan that is waiting for them with one of his lost soldiers. “Everyone stays behind me. Attack as soon as the titan moves.”

Only Erwin and Hanji move their horses closer to the titan. Still out of reach but close enough to see the Levi probably. The man looks healthy, nothing seems to be broken, no blood on him and he stands tall and ready on the titan’s head.

“Levi, you know how much paperwork your resurrection mean right?” What else can you say to someone who you thought for dead for months. About the titan … Erwin is just not sure how to bring that up. One thing is clear this titan is intelligent and it seems like Levi is protecting him. The only reason why he hasn’t moved away from the titan is that the second he would move his fellow soldier would attack.

Levi knees down, one hand on the titans head who looks up but doesn’t move an inch. He is telling the titan something, something Erwin can´t hear. “Good thing that it is your paperwork. Going missing on a mission is a good excuse.” Levi answers and Erwin is happy to see that he hasn’t lost his bite. But something is strange, this Levi is different, Erwin isn’t sure how to describe it but he is different.

Before they can continue their conversation while ignoring everything around them Hanji seem to have reached her limit what patient she has to offer. She jumps down from her horse and runs over to the titan. Erwin feels the soldier behind him tens up but with a sign form his hand they say still. “LEVI, can I touch your pet titan. PLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEE.”

“Hey, shitty glasses don’t touch him.” Levi shouts down from the titans head.

“But I want to touch him. Please I want to do experiments on him.” The last thing gets an reaction out of the titan. A low grow and suddenly the air around them change. Levi doesn’t move from his place but Hanji seem to notice that something she had done or said the titan doesn’t like.

“She won´t do any experiments on you. Am I right?” The first part was softly spoken to the titan, the second part was clearly for Hanji and in a way for Erwin. “Erwin this titan is special, he doesn’t eat humans, he saved me and he wants to help us. The only thing that matters for him is to stay with me. When you are against that I will return to the forest where he lives and stay with him. Here is your choice.” Seeing Levi´s grey eyes Erwin knows that it was no joke, human’s strongest warrior will live outside the wall and stay away from humans for this titan if he doesn’t let him come with them.

“Levi we can´t take a 15 meter tall titan inside the wall.” Maybe they can create a headquarter outside the wall where the titan can stay but he knows most humans won´t be happy about it. No human, except for Hanji even likes to look at them.

“So, when he is smaller he can come with us and no harm will be done?” Erwin looks back at his soldiers none of them are happy what happens, but they will listen to him.

“Sure. But how will you do that, cut off his limps?” Levi shakes his head, the next words can´t be heard but one of the hand of the titan move. Erwin takes a step back but it only stops for Levi to get on it. The titan brings his hand to the ground close to Hanji but not to close.

“Good.” Levi watches them all wary. “No one will hurt him.” He waits for everyone close to nod. “Eren come out.” He calls and suddenly the nape of the titan releases steam as if it had been destroyed. Something fast and green climbs out, runs and jumps down the titans body, which is dissolving and lands directly in Levi´s arms. His cold, sometimes emotionless solder has offered his arms up for whatever came out of the titans body and caught it. Looking closely, it is a child. A smiling, 10 year old child who is half hugging Levi.


	10. Humans are interesting

Eren waits for Levi to tell him what to do. As he told him to come out of his titan he jumps happily out and as before Levi catches him. Eren loves to get caught and steal a hug from his favourite human in the process. Being little has a lot of advantages. Hugs and touches in general are better given in his human form. Even when petting Levi´s head with one finger or the human´s hand on his face feel good too.

Levi pets his head but Eren feels that most of his attention is somewhere else, to be precise on the humans in front of them. The strange one that wants to touch him is the closed one and he thinks she is drooling. “Levi why is this human looking at me like I am food?” Levi follows his eyes and looks at the other human strangely before he sighs.

“She is … just very interested in meeting you.” Levi nods at that human and it comes closer. “Eren that is Hanji, she will not experiment on you but she might ask you many question, don’t feel obligated to answer them.” He offers this human his hand like Levi taught him and she is very anger to shake it. Eren is not sure about that human but at least she doesn’t want to eat him.

The other close up human with golden hair is coming now close enough to talk to them too. That is the human Levi called Erwin. Levi has his hands on Erens shoulders keeping him in front of his body. Protecting his back in that way and also seeing what is happening in front of him. Eren offers his hand to Erwin. “Hi my name is Eren. It´s nice to meet you.” He offers that man a smile. Eren had learned that smiling is helping some people to relax.

After a few seconds of hesitation, the blond man shakes his hand. Maybe is won´t be as dangerous as Levi thinks inside the walls. These two humans are nice but looking behind the blond human a lot of the other humans don’t look happy at all. “We should find a place for the night.” Levi says close to my ear. “Do you have a spare horse?”

Erwin nods and signals one of the other soldiers to bring one of the horses. Another human brings a horse her eyes follow every of my movements and I try to smile at her and waves but she doesn’t seem to like it.

“Don’t mind them. They understand that someone like you exist first. They will be more accepting.” Somehow Eren hears the word ´hopefully´ at the end of the sentence without Levi really speaking it. Before Eren can say something else Levi lifts him up so he can sit on the horse and follows smoothly after. “Over there is a place where we can stay the night.” Levi points into the direction we came. They pass another smaller forest with a few very high trees where the humans are safe for the night.

They reach the trees as the sun starts to lower, without thinking Eren lifts his hand to bit in his hand to transform and climb up the tree but Levi stops him. “Not now.” Eren remembers he told him not to change without Levi telling him to do or in an emergency. So Eren let his hand fall back and watches as the humans start to get ready. They all fly up into the trees, 30 meters up in the sky and a bit of jealousy grows in Eren. He wants to fly too. He hears Levi behind him huff and I know he can read my thoughts again. He always says all his emotion are clearly seen on his face. “Inside the wall I will teach you. As I promised.”

Before Eren can answer they are interrupted by Erwin and behind him is Hanji looking at Eren as if she wants to eat him again. He doesn’t like it. “Do you need gas?” Erwin offers him one of the silver containers. But Levi shakes his head.

“I still have some. It wasn’t the gas that stopped me from returning.” Levi nods up to the trees. “Let’s continue our conversation up there. Come here brat.” Happy I follow his call as he lifts me up in his arms. “Hold on tight. I won´t come down again to get you.” I laugh, we both know that it is a lie. Levi shoots his cables up the trees and brings both of us to one of the bigger branches safely. Erwin and Hanji follow us. The other soldiers are around them. Everyone knows his task and while Eren watches them he wonders what they will be like inside the wall. Levi told him that being outside the wall makes most of the humans nervous and they act different. They all look tired and stressed, wary and suspicious when they feel him watching them. But no one seems to be brave enough to say something. While he watches them Levi tells them how they met, how he survived, that Eren took care of him and that they decided to fight the titans together. He also tells them about his graveyard and offers the back to Erwin. “A few of ours. You can give them to their families. Eren gave them all a place to rest forever.”


	11. Dinner

“Levi should I go look for food?” Eren ask suddenly. Levi follows his eyes and find that most of the soldiers that aren’t on watch have their dinner, he has to smile. Again, this brat always tries to help me.

“It´s ok Eren, I think Erwin shares with me tonight.” He looks at me and sees that both Erwin and Hanji nod and pull out their rations. While Erwin starts to eat Hanji goes over to Eren.

“Say Eren. You really don’t eat humans?” Levi can see how the closes soldiers stop in their doing, listening in.

“No, I protect little ones.” Again with the chest puffing. Levi turns back to Erwin but sees that he is also watching his little titan. “Titans don’t need humans, only sunlight.”

“So you don’t eat anything, even in this … form?” Eren shakes his head. “Have you ever tried it?”

“Why should I put fruits or meat or bread in my body. It all tastes bad, like the white stuff Levi uses to wash me.” Levi coughs out the water he was drinking right now.

“Brat the soap is not for eating. And don’t start about you hating to bath. You stink and are disgusting after a day outside. Everywhere is dirt on you.”

Eren pulls out his tough. “I don’t like bathing and nothing you say will change it and I didn’t eat the soap I just licked at my skin to see what is so special about it.” Hanji starts to laugh.

“Oh Levi, you didn’t change at all. Always the clean freak. Sorry little titan but you will have to take baths back inside the wall as well but I think the warm water will be better then anything you had.” Eren huffs, clearly working on a plan that gets him out of it. “And don’t forget his room. That has always to be cleaned, and clothes and-“

“Hanji stop. Don’t make is worse.” Levi says without looking at her. He feels Erwins look on him. “What?”

“Nothing.” Erwin says but Levi doesn’t call him out to be a liar. They both know what he wants to say and what he is referring to. Furland, Isabel. Their names will never leave his lips again. Their emblem are save with him, their souls but not their bodies, not their life. 

As it is time to lay down Eren is already half asleep. Without the sun he never bothers to keep up. Hanji has spent the rest of the evening to ask Eren everything she could think off, making notes in a small book. After the second very inappropriate question Levi stopped the whole thing and he could see that more then one soldier was thankful. Hanji has more than once screamed in excitement about Erens answers. “Brat, bedtime. Come here.” Normally they don’t sleep that close, but Levi doesn’t want to risk it. So, he let the small titan cuddle up to him and dares everyone who looks at them to say a word.

“Good night my little human.” Eren whispers while falling asleep.

Levi pulls him closer and kisses the top of his head. “Good night brat.” I WON´T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU. Levi promised silently while he closes his arms tighter around this child.


	12. Inside

On the next morning they get up early. The soldiers busy packing up and getting the horses ready. No titan is in sight, except the one sitting on a branch bathing in the sun with a very protective captain close by. Hanji would laugh when she hadn’t seen the empty eyes months before that let her doubt to see her friend again. Honestly, she thought the day he went missing that Levi just stopped fighting, she feels bad about this thought but it is no denying that it happens sometimes.

Hanji is in the same area as Levi on their ride back. That gives her the opportunity to watch the little titan. She really wants to know everything about him and she really wants to touch his titan form. Maybe Levi will let her someday. Just seeing what the skin feels and how its muscle work and … ok she really wants a blood sample. How to get that is a big question mark. Especially when she feels cold grey eyes watching her how she watches the child next to him. Yes, Levi sees her and she knows that still. There is a human that can turn into a titan or the other way around and she really wants to know everything.

The sudden colour change of the signal pistols pull Hanji out of her mind. Titans. “Can I go and help.” Her eyes follow the soft voice that is cuddled to Levi´s chest. Green innocent eyes shine bright as Levi nods and the boy doesn’t wait a second. Just standing up while the horse is in full speed and jumps down. A bright light and a flash take away her eyesight for a second but there he is. The titan Levi brought them. Standing there where the boy had been and the titan starts to run over to the side where the other titans appear. She follows without thinking and sees Levi enter the fight as well. The two of them slay down the attacking giants in less than a minute and with a last foot stump the nape of the last titan steams and Levi lands on his shoulder.

Finding their horse close by I take it over to them. “LEVI.” I shout up but what happens next is still a bit surprising. The titan puts his hand on his nap and Levi stands protective over the hand, blades drawn and ready to fight off any HUMAN attacker. “Just me, here is your horse.” Hanji offers. She notices that she is the only one that is close up with them, it seems as if that fact let Levi relax enough to jump down and for Eren to break free of the titans body. “Oh you could have let me touch it at least.” She whines but let him take the horse.

“Good job you two.” Erwin appears from behind her. “Great teamwork, I think we can work out something.” Levi ignores both of them to help Eren up on their horse again. A movement clearly unnecessary by the looks of the boy’s abilities.

Surprisingly, that is the last titan they see until they reach the wall. Hanji sees how Levi pulls up his and Erens hoods to prevent anyone seeing their faces. “Why do I have to wear my wings like that?”

She sees the tiny smile that ghost over the captain’s face. “So, no one will see that you are a child. There are no children in the army and we don’t want anyone asking questions. Now stop pulling on the cloak brat.” The ruff way he speaks to the child and sometimes with her doesn’t bother the boy.

The gate opens and the first titan ever enters the wall. She should feel something, they let someone in that could be dangerous but another look at Eren told her all her worries are unnecessary. Eren points out the sparkling green stones above their heads and watches with big eyes his surroundings as they enter the city. Hanji can´t hear the world over the noises but Levi is constantly whispering into Eren´s ears. It seems as if he explains all the child is seeing for the first time.

They don’t stay in the city, they enter Wall Maria and make their way to their headquarters. It isn’t fare and they reach the castle before sundown. Levi says something about shower and disappear together with the boy who is holding onto his hand. The last thing Hanji hears from them is Erens curious voice. “Is showering like bathing?”

Erwin stands next to her and watches the pair disappear. “He will start cleaning his room. Good thing we didn’t move his things. Imagine that.” A small chuckle escapes the commandant, but he becomes serious again. “Tomorrow I need to have a conversation with Levi, without the child. Maybe you can find a way to entertain him. I´m pretty sure that you are the only one Levi can even imagine to let him alone with. Knowing that you would do experiments over killing him.” Hanji looks at Erwin, he had also notice the overprotective and slightly co-depending behaviour Levi showed.

“Don’t worry I will take the little titan and I won´t-“ Is she really going to promise not to make any kind of experiments on him. She sighs, she wants their trust maybe they can work on this later. “I won´t do anything that will compromise this. Promise.”


	13. Deadly animal

The next morning Hanji finds Eren and Levi outside, the boy laying in the sun while Levi eats a sandwich. “Good morning Hanji.” Eren waves at her and she really want to ask him about the sun thing but she has to wait.

“Good morning little titan, little human.” She grins at Eren´s happy face and knows what will follow.

“Hey shitty glasses, I am not small and stop calling me that.” He looks pissed but he always does. Or did. With Eren she had seen more of Levi´s smiles and laughs then in all the time before.

“So Eren can call you little but not me. That is so not fair. Right Eren? I should be allowed to call him that.” Eren to his defence isn’t as familiar with nicknames but it is adorable how he jumps up and throws himself into Levi´s lap.

“When Levi doesn’t want you to call him that than you are not allowed. Only I am allowed to call him that because he is My little human.” Levi´s hand lands on Eren´s head and pets him ruffly.

“I never allowed you to do that.” Giant green puppy eyes fix Levi and Hanji watches as it takes only seconds for the wall around the soldier’s heart to crumble down. “Whatever.” Levi looks away but Hanji sees the love in his look.

“Levi the commandant wants to see you.” Levi isn’t happy about it but he knows he is back at work and therefor he has to do his duties. Both get up and follow her inside to Erwin who had finished his breakfast a few minutes ago.

The dining room was filled with soldiers, most of them still eating but they all follow them with their eyes. “Erwin.” Levi says without many emotions.

“We need to discuss a few things and I would like to do this in my office, alone.” Hanji sees that Levi understands quickly what he means, Eren needs another second before he gets it.

“No, I want to stay with Levi.” The puppy eyes he got out now where even more effective than the ones before. “Pretty please. I will be quiet and won´t interrupt.” And it nearly works, she can see how Erwin is fighting with himself and Hanji decides to help the poor man.

“How about I show you the castle and we could go to the library. There are great books you can read.” Eren looks at her, thinking.

“I can´t read.” He says a bit of sadness in his voice.

“I can teach you if you like.” A very hopeful look appears on his face, forgotten everything about Levi going somewhere else.

“Really you will teach me?” Hanji nods and Eren looks up to meet Levi´s eyes. “Can I go?” Before Eren can continue with his ´I will be good` Levi puts his hand on his head, softer than before.

“I know you will be good. I am not so sure about her but-“ Levi meets her eyes. “-she will take good care of you and she will be a good teacher.” Eren smiles. “Eren.” He waits until the child gives him all his attention. “When someone tries to hurt you or they do something out don’t like, you protect yourself.” The whole dinner room goes quiet. “You fight back and turn into a titan and find me. You let no one harm you, do you understand? I don’t care about your overprotectiveness of humans. When they hurt you, you hurt them back, did I make myself clear.” Levi´s eyes are cold, filled with ice and hatred and fear of what might happen.

“Levi you can´t just say-“ Erwin doesn’t get to finish this sentence as the soldiers eyes met his. The look screams murder and Erwin would have died when his look could kill. It never comes to it as small hands cup the black-haired face.

“Don’t worry my little human. I will be safe and after you are done with your meeting you can show me how to fly. You promised.” Eren erases all murder out of Levi´s eyes and everyone around them starts breathing again.

“Be careful, brat.” Levi pulls Eren into a one-armed hug and leaves with a last look back. Suddenly aware of the responsibility she has Hanji offers her hand to the child.

“Let´s go Eren. We will have fun while Levi has to do boring stuff.” She smiles at him and together they leave the dining room. Painfully aware that not the titan on her hand brought the fear of death into the room but the human.


	14. Books

Eren holds on to Hanji´s hand and waves his good-bye to Levi who still looks really unhappy that Eren leaves. Still Eren knows he can´t be with his little human every second so they should start with separating for a short amount of time now. He doesn’t like it, neither does Levi but he told him last night that he trust Erwin and Hanji, if no one else these two won´t go back on their word. So they are included in the very small circle of people that are allowed to be alone with Eren. The day before they hadn’t had time to really look around the giant castle, they were tired the evening before and Levi was very nervous about them being surrounded by people. So they both had disappeared inside his room and of course the first thing they did was cleaning the whole room. The dust was just too much for Levi. They had a quick bath and Eren must confess with warm water and Levi washing his back with the soft yellowish thing … oh yes sponge. It was better then in the river with the white soap. He was glad that they shared the bed again. Eren really likes to sleep in Levi´s arms it makes him feel save and protected and the lonely feeling he had all these years inside his heart is already gone.

Hanji points out a few places, like the training ground, the laboratory, a few offices, most of them some where he could either find Erwin, Levi or her. The stables are fascinating, so many horses and all of them belong to the people who live in the castle. Hanji even showed him one horse that belongs to Levi and she let him feed it a carrot. Yes, animals need food too.

They end their little tour in the library. Only a few other people are here and Hanji explains that they are studying. When they start their reading practice, they can’t be too loud or they will interrupted the others. Eren feels the looks on him but thankfully no one wants to talk to him. Not that he is afraid, but Levi made sure that he knows what humans are capable off and he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of this. His poor little human didn’t had it easy in his life. Not that the titans were better, taking away his only family. As Levi told him the story one evening, already cuddling up, Eren started to cry and he didn’t stop until he fell asleep. He knows Levi didn’t cry and that made him produce even more tears. These monsters have rip out his heart, shatter it and let him to die. Eren will do whatever he can to make sure his human will never lose someone again and for that he needs to learn things and take part in this human life. He will find friends for Levi so he doesn’t end up alone should something happen to Eren.

Suddenly reaching their goal Eren fixes his attention back to Hanji who led him to a table and opens a book. To Erens surprise this book is empty, white pages wherever he looks. Confused he looks up at the human. “I thought you want to teach me how to read. There is nothing in this book to read.” More confused at her smile Eren looks back at the notebook again, turning another page to make sure he hadn’t missed something.

“Yes, my little titan but before we can hop on to the book shelfs and lose ourselves in the stories behind their pages you need to learn the letters. After you learned them, we can start with reading easier words before we tackle the difficult things. No one learns to write and read in a few hours. So, let’s start.”

Happy to lean something new Eren listens to her as she writes down the letters of the alphabet and lets him copy it. Living with humans is fun.


	15. The office

Levi follows Eren and Hanji with his eyes until they disappear behind a corner. The warmth on his cheeks where Eren had hold him to calm him down is nearly gone, only a shadow is left. A cold feeling settles inside his body, letting Eren out of his site was like physical pain. He tried to denial it but over the last few days Levi had to be honest to himself. This little being stole his heart, fixed some of the broken pieces and holds the other cracks together with his warms and touch and smile that is brighter as sunshine.

Suddenly remembering that he isn’t alone Levi turns back to Erwin, ignoring the frighten looks from the other soldiers. He doesn’t care what they think of him. Everything that he had loved was lost and he would fight with teeth and claws to protect the one person that is important to him.

Erwin gets up. “How about we talk in my office.” The blond man offers and leads the way, Levi follows him closely.

During their conversation Levi is only listening with one ear. Erwin talks about him taking over his normal duties with training the new recruits, his load of the dreaded paperwork as his position as a captain during the expeditions. As he had ended with giving him a summery of the new recruits, silence fell into the room and finally Leiv looks at Erwin for the first time since they came back.

His mind has always been somewhere else, watching Eren and all the people surround them. Watching out for any sign of danger for his little titan, to sum it up he is a nervous bundle of buzzing energy ready to kill everything in this world that threatens his EVERYTHING.

“I´m glad you are still alive.” Erwin breaks the silence and Levi nods. Yes, he is glad to be alive too but looking at Erwin that is not what he wants to say. “We will keep the existence of someone like Eren to ourselves for now. We don’t want the military police to get word of him, so be assured that we will do everything in our power to protect him. Our people might not look very happy about a titan between them but they can see the benefit of having him here. They also trust your judgement of the situation and after surviving for such a long time outside the wall you will become something like a legend.” Neither of them smiles at that. They both know Levi doesn’t care about things like that.

“Is that everything.” Levi asks as he points at the stuck of paper waiting for him to be taken to his own office to work on it.

“No. I know you will not let Eren out of your sight, but I can´t let you threaten every single person in this castle for looking his way. Get yourself back in order also I will get you a second bed for your room. You can´t let a child sleep with you for the rest of your lives. That all now return to your duties.” Levi nods, no salute, never but still listens and leaving the office. Strangle it hadn’t occurred to him that sleeping with Eren in one bed is something bad. He had slept with him many nights. The body heat of the little titan was very helpful in the cold nights. Thinking back during his time in the underground city he had shared his bed with many people, most times out of need. It was nothing wrong with sleeping in one bed. The whole separating thing had started as they didn’t let Isable sleep with Furlan and him in the same room. The first night felt strange and cold and so wrong. But Levi knows he can´t let Eren depend on him too much. If something happens to him the kid will be alone. He needs to know that there are other people that will help him, love him and chase away his loneliness.


	16. Training with the Captain

Levi finds Eren in the library after he got rid of the paperwork and took on his training gear. His little companion was concentrating very hart while Hanji seems to let him write letters out of memory. Smiling Levi watches them, if you don’t know it Eren could be like every other kid growing up inside the walls with parents and siblings, friends in his age and normal life. But he isn’t normal, Levi isn’t exactly sure he is even human or completely human. He doesn’t care about it but some other might, some that could try to hurt him. Levi is thankful that Erwin keeps Eren and his identity hidden. For now but they all know, secrets will always be find out. Hopefully they achieved something before that to have a point in defending him.

Suddenly two pair of eyes look at him and Levi is watched by Hanji, who had spotted him and Eren who jumps up with a piece of paper in his hand running towards him and throwing himself in the soldiers arms. “Look Levi, I wrote our names.” Proudly he is shown the paper where Levi could read their names, written in shaking deformed letter but still their names.

“Good job brat. I see you already learned the most important thing.” Eren smiles wildly at him. “Do you want to come with me to train the new recruits. I will get you your own set of gear and you can train alongside the others.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Eren takes his hand to pull him to the training ground but stops. “Thank you for teaching me Hanji-san.”

“You´re welcome, little human. We can continue our studies when Levi is busy doing boring things.” She winks at them in a mischievous way but Levi doesn’t call her out on it. Eren winks back and continues with pulling Levi away from the books and toward the training field.

The new soldiers are already waiting for him but Levi doesn’t make a show out of it. Eren follows him and waits patiently for him at the side-line of the field. Many of the young soldiers look at him, some might even know about the titan thing the other are just confused about a child in uniform with the signature green cloak. Eren´s training gear rest next to him. Ready to use later on.

“Welcome to our castle, brats. This will be your home for the next 3 months until the next expedition mission will take place. I´m captain Levi and you all will listen to my orders. Your duty will contain a detailed cleaning plan that is to be followed. I will control your work and if its not to my satisfaction you will prefer wander outside the wall facing hungry titans then finding me in a bad mood.” Out of the corner of his eyes Levi sees one of the soldiers’ yarn and finds his first example. “You.” With a loud demanding voice, he points at the yarning soldier. Who is freaked out the second he sees Levi´s cold eyes.

The soldier salutes and starts sweating. “Yes sir.”

“We have a volunteer for our first practice, come here.” The soldier does as asked and Levi can see the fear in his eyes. He is pretty sure they all know who he is, what he has done and the talk around the castle will do the rest.

“We start with combat training. You learned a few of these tricks in your training but we have a different approach. Most of you will never fight against a human but some of these moves might save your live one day if you use them.” Levi looks at the boy. “Attack me as if you want to grab me.” The soldier follows his order thankfully and without further instruction or explanation Levi attacks the poor soldier. In fast, elegant movements he turns around himself, his feet moves like he would dance around the man and in a swift second Levi is behind the soldiers, barely visible for the human eye holding a stick to his neck. The soldier freezes.

“I don’t expect of you to be perfect but for you to survive your first mission outside I would like you to have a basic set of skills to use against titans. The most of them aren’t that fast but without your gear and forced to the ground with nothing then a horse in best case you have to be quick. Your gas supple could be cut short. When you are alone and face titans on the ground you have to move fast.” As none of them starts to move Levi puts on an annoyed face. “Let´s go, train in pairs make up your own movements. Be fast.”

His soldiers move and as they all are busy Eren walks over while Levi watches them. “Hope you are ready for your flying lessons.” Levi smiles slightly. None of his soldiers notice too busy getting a hang on the task given by their new captain.

“You are a good teacher. They will learn.” Eren still looks excited but patient enough the wait for him.

“When everyone around here is more comfortable with you they might have to train with you. If you want to of course.” Levi isn’t sure that will happen, but it would be great practice.

“That will be fun. Hope they don’t mind me playing rough.” Levi starts to get down on his knees helping Eren into his gear.

“I want you to first practice using the cables on the trees behind me, practice your balance. I know you can already use it but I don’t want you flying off, okay.” Eren nods. “I will watch you and if you get stuck, I will get you out. I still have to train the soldiers so I can´t watch you the whole time. If you have a question just ask. After I´m done here we will go to the rooftop of the castle.” Levi pets Erens head. He has no real fear for Eren to get hurt. The boy has the same healing abilities as a titan so if he gets his head bashed in by a wall it wouldn’t take long for the little titan to heal. Still Levi doesn’t want him hurt. “Have fun, brat.”

“Thank you, Levi.” Eren says and runs over to the trees.

Levi turns back to see a few of the soldiers watching him. “Did I say you can have a break.” Levi points at two soldier that didn’t continue training while he helped Eren with his gear. “You two, show me what you did.” Both swallows, knowing there are the next victims … he means volunteers for today. A long day of training lays ahead of them.


	17. Flying

Eren runs over to the trees and positions himself like Levi showed him to shoot the cables. They hit the trees where he wants them to. The next movement is to pull the cables back, so he does. He repeats this combination of movements for a while before Eren brings the cables in a good position to pull him up from the ground a few meters. Balancing carefully to find his footing. Its different from jumping around in the forest where nothing is bind to his body, where he jumps and falls freely. Still with this gear he can fly like the humans, faster as the eye can follow, pushed by the gas inside the silver container.

Remembering what to do, Eren let the cables pull him up, releasing the cables from their position, shooting them mid-air, hitting the next tree, getting pulled towards them again. Eren repeats this movement, carefully calculating who much gas he is using. Like Levi told him, humans are dead without it, right now he is a human and he want to learn how to fly like them so no use of his above average physical strength.

Eren lands on a branch and looks back to the training ground, while he had flown through the trees, changing direction, hights and speed he had felt Levi´s eyes on him. The warmth in his heart is growing with every second. His human is watching him. Making sure he doesn’t hurt himself. Levi´s weren’t the only eyes that follow his movement. Eren felt a few of the soldiers watching when they pass by, some of the recruits and some people from inside the castle. They all watched him but he doesn’t care. Levi gave him the gear to train, and no one can tell him otherwise.

Finding a sunny place Eren sits down, with the perfect view to the training ground from a branch about 20 meters above the ground, perfect to watch Levi train the soldiers. Their movements are strange and so much slower than Levi, even without the support of the gas, his human moves so much faster as any of them. His human is special too, maybe he can turn into a titan too. But thinking about it, it doesn’t make any sense. If Levi was like him, he had changed already to safe his own life and he wouldn’t have acted so surprised after seeing him change for the first time. And his movements are different from Erens. He is strong and fast, but not as fast a Levi, his movements are smoother and flow like the water in the river.

The soldiers seems to be exhausted, when the heavy breathing and the sweat on their bodies are any indication of it. Levi, is looks like he just got up, no indication that he is training them since lunch. The suns is lower now, evening and dinner time will be soon but Eren remembers he doesn’t have to find food for his human anymore. The humans have a large container full of it, and they get daily more. With so many humans it probably better and Eren isn’t sure if Levi would let him go outside the castle to find food.

Levi looks at him and points with his fingers down next to him. Without thinking Eren jumps down from the branch, catching another one with his hand to break his fall lightly before he lands on the ground and runs over to his humans. Noting the faces of the soldiers starring at him.

“Are you done Levi.” He asks ignoring the humans. They really are looking tired.

Levi hits him at the back of his head, like he does sometimes when Eren does something he isn’t supposed to do but also doesn’t know it better. Patiently the titan waits for Levi to explain what he has done wrong. “Stop jumping down from trees, brat. You wear the gear so use it. You were the one that wanted to learn lying.” Oh, that was the problem.

“Ok, sorry Levi, won´t do it again. Are we going to the rooftop now?” Levi let out tsk sound but doesn’t say no, so Eren waits for him to send off the other humans.

“Tomorrow after lunch, I control your cleaning. You will find a plan for all of you in the dining room. Dismissed.” He says and the tired soldiers salute and walk slowly away.

“Are they going to fly tomorrow?” Eren watches them leave while Levi puts on his own gear.

“Yes, today I wanted to have a feeling for them. What do you think. You watched us.” Eren blushed a bit, so Levi notice. Of course he does, he is his perfect super strong human.

“They are slow and move like they have never used their body in any other way than walking and sitting. Not like you.” Levi nods.

“Yes but you can´t take me as standard. They will get better, hopefully fast enough that they will return home after their first mission.” There it was again, the sad look in Levi´s eyes that he doesn’t let anyone else see, just him. “Follow me.”

Levi jumps into the air and faster as before climbs his way up the castle wall, with precis calculated jumps. Eren follows, not as elegant as Levi but not bad for his first day really using the gear. Together they sit on the top of the castle looking out on the area around them. Far in the distance Eren sees the wall. Wall Maria, that separates him from the outside world. He should miss it more but its not like he ever really left his forest. Now he has Levi, and Hanji and Erwin. He will find new friend with the other soldiers; this will be his home. A place where he doesn’t have to be lonely ever again. And all thanks to the human beside him. Smiling, Eren let himself get closer to Levi and touches his arm with his shoulder. Levi doesn’t say anything, they watch the sunset together.


	18. About cats and horses

Eren looks out of the window. They are here in the castle and inside the wall since a month according to Levi. The concept of time isn’t as clear to Eren as he likes to be. Time was never really important. There are day and night. The morning where he sits in the sun, the noon when he walks through his forest and the evening, that is for resting and getting ready for the night. The night is for sleeping. That was his concept of time until he met Levi who talks about things that will happen in a week or a month, who refers to something that happened two weeks ago and Eren finds it hart to put these time reference in a picture that he can understand. It also seem to not as important as he thought as Eren told Levi that he didn’t get the day right he wasn’t scrolled. Levi gave him the right answer and explained the whole concept of week and weekdays, weekend and so on again. Sometimes he thinks that Levi is too nice to him. Everyone else would have to do some extra cleaning for asking such a question.

Cleaning is the next thing. Why do they have to clean everything, everyday. The rooms can´t be that dirty, still every morning he is pushed towards the next bucket to mop the floor or some brush to wipe it. One night Levi told him in a whispered voice that it makes him feel in control. He told him about his childhood where he lived in a place where he had no control over anything, not even how dirty or clean the place is. He even apologizes to Eren for being such an annoying person but this whispered confession makes Eren really happy. Another part of Levi that he had shared with him. They cuddled up this night, Eren didn’t want to let his human alone, he wants to make sure that this little piece of broken heart would be hold together by his arms.

Eren hadn’t really talked to anyone except for Hanji and Erwin. Levi still stared at everyone else who come too close like he wants to kill them and one training lessen Eren felt the need to put a stop on it. He was allowed to participant in it, with distance of course but some of the other soldiers came closer over the field as got together in pairs for their training. Levi nearly bit off the head of a young woman who looks like she wants to disappear. “Levi, I thought humans don’t eat other humans.” That brings Levi to a stop and Eren gets his attention, as the attention of everyone else of the field.

“No, humans don’t eat other humans. I told you that already.” And after a second he asks. “Why?”

“It looks like you want to bite off that human´s head for no reason. I thought only titans do that.” The silence that fills the world around them was thick and heavy.

“You are right only titans do that.” He turns to the soldier who had been frozen in her place the short conversation between the two. “I apologize for my behaviour but keep your distance to Eren.” Levi sounds clam and resemble, still very possessive but that was something Eren would tackle another day. The soldier nods and steps a few steps back towards her training partner.

After that Eren left the trainings ground, still close to Levi that he could see or hear him but not in his arm reach. He walks between the trees thinking about climbing them as he hears a sound to his right. Eren follows the noise and fins a black furry creature. To his surprise it doesn’t run away. He looks closer at the animal. Its fur is completely black, and it has silver-yellow eyes that look like the moon at night.

Eren offers his hand and surprisingly the animal gets up to sniff and lick at his fingers. Carefully to not hurt the animal he softly pets its head. The animal begins to purr and Eren falls in love. He lifts the animal up and runs over to Levi, half way to his human Eren remembers that human´s eat animals with fur. He looks around and sees the stables where they keep the horses. Humans don’t eat horses. Slowly walking towards Levi Eren decides that he will tell his human that this is a horse and he want to keep it.

“Levi can I keep this horse.” His human turns around first looking around him before seeing the small animal in his arms. “Please I will take good care of the horse, I help with the other horses too.”

Eren sees a few of the soldiers stop in their training watching their conversation. “Eren that is a cat not a horse.” Eren had never heard of an animal like a cat but he wouldn’t let anyone eat it.

“No it´s a horse, no one can eat it. Horses are useful like my horse.” Eren sees understanding appear in Levi´s eyes.

“Eren, cats are no food either. They don’t get eaten; they are useful too. Hunting the rats in the castle for example.” That sounds good.

“So you won´t eat my cat?” Levi pets his tangled brown hair.

“No Eren, you can keep you cat. Give her a name so you can call her and show it to Hanji so she can make sure it is perfectly healthy.” Levi gives him another of these rare smiles that only Eren gets.

“Thank you, Levi. I will go to her after the training.” Knowing that Levi wouldn’t want him to run around the castle alone.

“You can go now, if you want to.” Surprised Eren looks at the soldiers around him. It seems as if Levi had taken his complain earlier seriously and trusted them not to hurt him and Eren to protect himself. Such a big step must be supported.

“Ok. I will pick you up for dinner after training.” Eren smiles but give Levi a one-armed hug, careful not to get the cat hurt that is still resting content in his arm. He makes his way to Hanji´s laboratory and keeps petting his new friend. “I think I will call you Moonlight. Your eyes are like the moon and your fur is like the night sky.” The cat continues to purr. “I guess that is a yes to the name.”


	19. Training with a titan - Part 1

Erwin looks at the two soldiers in front of him. One his strongest captain, the other a titan-shifter, as Hanji calls the ability of the child. And that is the problem, this boy is young, far too young to be a soldier or here in this castle for that matter. He would play with friends his own age and have a family, parents that love him and make sure he is happy. Although this boy isn’t a normal child. He grown up outside the wall, in titan infected lands, alone and he seems happy. This is the second month of a titan inside the wall. Nothing bad had happened and most soldiers were ok with Eren being here. Good most of them have seen him fight on the way back, they heard the story of Levi´s survival and the new recruits haven’t seen the titan jet. They haven’t seen any real titan up close. Looking down on them form the wall is something else then coming up close to their faces.

“Levi, Eren I have developed a new training plan for our next expedition to the outside.” Both wait patiently for him to continue. “We will train the new recruits with Eren in his titan form.” It doesn’t take a second for Levi to change from his indifference look to a blazing fire of emotions. More emotions that the man had ever shown before he met the titan. Somewhere in Erwins mind he gets it. Levi lost everyone that was ever important to him, he had seen him giving up, fearing that every day will the day where his soldier will give up on this world. After his return he is different. He found something he can protect but is also strong enough not to die by every wink of danger.

“What would that training be?” Levi asks, suspicious. A look at Eren in his still too big uniform (they don’t have smaller sizes) with his pet (Erwin had a great day trying to persuade them to let the cat go) looks not like he is against it.

“We would let the recruits fight against Eren. Starting with the normal behaving titan and levelling it up to the abnormal titans. You know what kills the most soldier outside. The shock of seeing a titan up close for the first time. You can practise as much as you want on inanimate object, seeing their eyes is different. I would like to get more then 50 % our soldier back home.” Erwin waits. Honestly, he would like to ask Eren if he is ok with it. The child has a great attitude about everything, except maybe Levi´s cleaning and washing thing but even that is no reason to fight in the titan´s eyes.

“And how will they fight against him?” Of course, that is the first concern. Erwin offers him a piece of wood that had laid on his desk since the conversation had started. “A face wooden sword. We let the soldier use them instead of our normal blades. They won´t cut the skin but they will feel when they hit their target. The veterans will also start training with Eren but we start with the newbies. Getting them a feeling for everything.”

Before Erwin could continue or Levi start a complain Eren speaks up for the first time since they entered the office. “When we play, I mean train they can´t be afraid of me. I don’t want them to fear me. I want to help the humans so they can fight the titans.” A sad look appears on his face. “I like it here, I like the other soldiers so I don’t want to lose that. I don’t want to be alone anymore”

Levi´s hand lands on Erens head, petting him. “Don’t worry brat, I will make sure they have something else to fear.” He looks up and meet Erwin´s eyes. “Fine we are doing it, but you tell them about the training, I will show them. It will be better when it comes from you.”

Erwin expected to be the one that has to explain the new training to his soldiers, he doesn’t mind, they are most likely to afraid to say anything against it and whatever Levi plans to do to show them that Eren isn’t a threat will be interesting. 

As the reach the trainings field, the new soldiers, equipped with the wooden swords are waiting for them. No one in the whole castle was allowed to carry their normal blades, a condition made by Levi, he still has trust issues. Erwin stands up tall in front of them, showing that there is no discussion about the training, as he finished, he sees a few frighten faces but most look just insecure. He told them the same reason for the training as Levi and Eren. To minimize the death outside the wall. “Let´s start.” Erwin looks over to where Eren is standing. “Eren, change to your titan form, go over there and sit down here.” Erwin points first to a place a few meters away from them and then right next to Levi.

Eren smiles and runs over to the transformation point. It is really fascinating to watch. It is impossible to really see what happened but finding the titan standing tall right inside the wall is a very different experience. Hanji (also a trusted member of the small circle of people Levi let´s close to Eren) is trying to walk over to Eren, like in trance, she wants to touch the titan, Erwin holds her back and gets a pouting face back.

The ground under their feet shakes slightly as Eren walks over in a few steps and sits down. The crowd was clearly in shock. Most of them went back a few steps. The black cat that follows Eren around all the time tries to jump unto the titans lap and with a little help from Eren Moonlight finds his place. The cat is petted by one giant finger and doesn’t seem to mind the whole thing. Levi walks over to them and demands the cat without a word. Eren holds out his hand and the captain takes the furry animal to set her out to leave while the training before he returns to his soldiers.

Levi stands in front of the titan, with his back towards Eren. “Listen brats, we start easy so you can get used to it. Eren here will pretend to be one of the normal titans. Not really thinking, just wanting to eat humans. We start with a training course between the trees, go over to riding on a horse and then alone on the ground. Your worst-case scenario. After that the three steps will be repeated with an abnormal titan and again with a titan like Eren.” Without further explanation Levi shoots a cable in Erens shoulder let himself be pulled up, as fast as ever and attacks the neck.

Levi stands on Eren´s shoulder. “As you can see you can use a titan as an anker point for your gear, you just have to be fast enough. Get started. First in teams of three.”

To all their surprise a soldier lifts his hand. “How can we be sure he doesn’t harm us. It could be by accident.” Good point, Erwin is sure Eren has his titan form under control, but accidents happen.

Levi looks annoyed. He probably thought showing them how to do it by attacking Eren in surprise would solve the problem. “Fine. Eren let me step on your hand.” The titan does. “Get me in front of your face.” It is strange to see the look of confusion on a titan´s face. “Open your mouth.” Strange sounds come out of the titan. “Brat, I said open your mouth.” So, he does and without hesitation Levi step into the titan´s mouth. That earns him more then a few shocked faces. “Close your mouth.” Eren does as ask and waits patiently, Erwin is very glad that the boy is such a good-natured person. A sound comes from inside the mouth and Eren opens it again. There on the titan´s tough sits their captain unharmed and just a bit wet. He gets out and jumps onto the offered hand. “See, he isn’t hurting humans, so get your shit together. You are soldiers, a few bruises won´t kill you.”

Eren uses this unguarded moment to rub his cheek on Levi´s body in a cuddling way. Wouldn’t it look so strange Erwin would call it cute, even Levi´s try to push the titan away with no real heat in his movement. Hanji next to him shrieks and there is definitive the word cute in her swell of words.


	20. Training with a titan - Part 2

His little human is in Erens mouth and that feels strange. Eren tries his best not to move or swallow or even breath but the thought of accidentally eating his human makes him feel sick. Levi is stressed, again. With all his power he tries to protect him and that stresses his little human. He wants to trust the other humans around him, but he can´t, not completely. So he is doing his best to make sure Eren feels save and is well liked. Eren knows that Levi feels disgusting right now. With all the titan spit on his body but he doesn’t say a word about it just send to soldier out to participate in the training session.

“Eren are you ready.” The voice of his commander get´s Eren back on track. The man stands at the beginning of the small forest. “Just try to act like a normal titan and go catch a few soldiers.” Act like a normal titan. How do they act?

Eren sees the first team of soldiers swinging themselves up into the air, good let´s play catch. A normal titan would see the humans and run to catch them. As one of the humans change direction, he follows the other two. Simple math as Hanji told him in one of his lessons with her, more people more meat. Do normal titan´s protect their nape? Eren isn’t sure, most likely not but they feel the cable in their skin and try to catch human when they get to close and annoying like flies. Eren doesn’t feel something piercing him but he can feel the human, it would be easy to stop or just turn around to catch one of the cable or the soldier. Eren hopes he is allowed to give tips after the training but he doubts it will be necessary. In the training area are Erwin, Levi and Hanji, watching them. Levi to make sure he is ok, the other two to give tips for the solders.

The first team strikes, he moves slowly as he turns around to catch the soldier. It is one of the better ones, who really is able to change his direction in the air and hit his goal. The training sequence stops, and the next team starts. Most of them use a similar tactic but Eren catches the one or the other solder mid-air. Most of them because they came to close and hesitate. A point Erwin tells them all as they have the first round done.

Now with the horses and after that without anything and alone. Most of the soldier get a feeling for him and the training at the end of the day. Erwin left half-way through the training letting Levi and Hanji to update the soldier on their progress and point out where they can improve. They switch up the teams and let single soldiers who are already better fight alone.

Eren really likes to be in his titan form again. He hadn’t been big since he entered the wall. When he stands tall he can see it in the distance like a threat, telling everyone that they are prisoners of their own free will. As the day starts to end Levi calls a stop to the training. His soldiers look exhausted and in the last hour Eren had it easier to catch them. Tired humans are really easy to catch. Only a few had bruises. Most of them not from Eren but from Levi but no one says a thing about it. They are released for dinner.

“Come out brat, we are done for today.” Levi calls but before Eren even moves a finger to release himself from the titan´s body Hanji is next to his human.

“WAIT!!!!. Please can I touch you?” How does Hanji manage to let everything that she says sounds creepy? Yes, Eren learns what that means by watching their reaction of others. Because Hanji is making most of the other humans very uncomfortable with her titan- … let´s call it interest.

Eren sees Levi stiff and he knows that his human will go into an overprotective mode in a few seconds. He doesn’t mind it or Hanji´s request but to stop anything from happening Eren reacts fast and picks up Hanji who isn’t even trying to fight him and places her on his other hand right in front of his face. Eren nods to answer her question and Hanji looks at him as if he had brought her a shining star, freshly picked form the night sky.

“You are the best, Eren.” She throws herself at the titan´s face. A tsk is heard from Levi on the ground but he ignores both of them for the time being. At least he tries to act like he is ignoring Eren. The titan feels Levi´s eyes on him and it makes him feel warm and save inside.

Hanji starts investigating his face. Mumbling words like ´body temperature is high´ and ´eye colour is the same´. Eren lets her. She touches his hair and after asking pulls one out, she is also very interested in his teeth and is partly sitting inside the mouth and his hand, touching them and following them inside, nearly falling down his throat. Eren had to stop her by nodding his head forward and letting her fall into his waiting hand. He growled at her for that but she is just laughing and climbing back inside.

Eren can see that more than one solider is watching them, he doesn’t mind and he things they are more concerned for him than for her, she is just … special and Eren likes that about her.

“Oi, shitty-glasses. That´s enough, sun is going down and we need to get dinner. You can do that another time.” Levi calls up as the sun starts to disappear behind the wall. Hanji who is busy investigating his ears sighs sadly but he understands. Eren lets her down and quickly cuts off the connections between his small and big body. He feels a bit tired but in a good way. He did something today and that is great. Eren jumps down and runs over to Levi giving him a hug.

Eren loves hugs and somehow Levi let´s him have them whenever he wants to. All three of them return to the castle for a late dinner and an early night. Tomorrow they will continue and Hanji is already talking about a game she is working on for the more experienced soldier to train with Eren. She is happy to have something to work on and is scribbling in her notebook, thinks she had discovered today.


	21. Training with a titan - Part 3

Hanji is holding on to the hair Eren had given her or better let her take it. She is really happy, not only had she spend an hour touching everything on a living titan that she wanted to. She could even get a good look at the teeth. Eren didn’t seem to mind her climbing inside his mouth and even helped her as she slipped up and nearly fell into his throt. And the hair. She has a hair and it didn’t dissolve as the body disappear, it’s so fascinating. She will store it securely inside her lab. She still needs to work on her ´game´ for the other soldiers. Playing with Eren will be fun.

Levi was a bit more relax at the end of the day. He might even get used to the thought of Eren being alone or with others, someday. She doubts that it will happen over night but in the two month they have returned inside the wall, improvement had been shown.

The next day begins like the last one had ended. Training, for the soldiers that hadn’t succeeded the day before they get a new chance today. Levi teaches the ones that fail on their feet, he is kind of an expert on this area. Most soldier do everything to save their horses, in the knowledge that without it they are as good as dead. Her attention is on Eren, for the soldier that already succeeded in hitting the nap in all tree stages come the next exercise. Hitting a titan that is abnormal. Hanji is coating Eren to do so. He had confessed that it was his biggest problem the day before to act like a normal titan. He was overthinking the whole thing and slowing himself down and stopping himself from acting just because he isn’t sure what to do.

Today will be different, Hanji smiles as she looks up at Eren´s green eyes. During breakfast she had told him all about the abnormal titan´s they have encountered. She made a mix out of their abilities. That will set a higher difficulty but so can also other soldier train. Of course for the first-timers they will start slower.

“All right, everyone. Can I get your attention.” Hanji´s voice echoes over the soldiers on the ground. Eren is a nice titan and lifter her up so everyone can see her. “Today I will introduce a new game to you. I call it ´CATCH THE HUMANS`.” As expected most of the soldiers looks confused, isn’t the titan the one that should get caught? And they would be right but there is a higher difficult lever when Eren can show what he can do. “The rules are easy. If Eren catches you or touches you in a way that would normally mean at least deadly injured. YOU ARE DEAD. If your gas is empty, or your blades are gone. DEAD. When Eren destroys your gear. DEAD. When he keeps you in his hand or mouth or some other way contained or prisoned. DEAD. You have your swords, your cable and are one team.” Hanji smiles satisfied at the frightened soldiers. “The first round will be on an easy level. Next round the others can come in but remember Eren will also level up his skills. When you are dead, return to this field after everyone is done. The next round starts. The longer you hold on the better you get, all your individual times will be noted.” Hanji looks at Levi, he is done with the other recruits. “Any questions?”

Hanji looks around and finds only one hand and points at it. “When is the titan dead?” She asks.

“Never, we only have one for training so when you are able to ´kill´ him you get a point, but the game continues.” Everyone nods. “Eren are you ready.” The titan nods. “Soldiers on your mark. You have 5 minutes before he starts hunting you. Let´s go.” She shoots a red signal into the sky. The next one will be green, ready to go.

While the soldiers start running towards the forest Levi uses a few minutes to rest on Erens shoulder. Hanji jumps next to him. “What do you think of my little game. Next round we can play with them.”

“I won´t play, I will just watch.” Watch and protect Eren from the evil humans but who is she to say something against it. Levi is the only one carrying real blades.

“Eren you like my game right.” She lends over to touch his cheeks with her hands. His eye´s wonder to look at her and he just lifts his shoulders like a shrug. “I made it for your so you can also train.” That get´s her the attention of both Levi and Eren. “When soldiers try to hurt you, you can learn here how to get away and also how to disarm everyone that tries to hurt you.” Eren seems to think about it and nods. Hanji smiles.

“It´s time.” Levi says and both jump down from Eren. The green signal lights the morning sky and Eren starts to run towards the forest. For the first round Hanji decided to wait, the soldier would return very quickly.

It only takes Eren 30 minutes to catch everyone. Eren actually destroys one set of gear and bring three of the soldiers in his hand, the last that tried to attack him. Yes, they really have to train more, but Eren was also ´killed´ four times. Not bad.

“Second round.” The soldiers return. That will be her favourite training from now on. Hanji follows the other soldier into the forest and finds a good place at the entrance to watch the whole thing. It was spectacular. Eren runs into the forest, locating the soldiers. The one´s that attack Eren get picked out of the air by their cable. Some that try to hide find themselves in the titans hand. Others fail their attack completely by Erens fast movement and Hanji is sure their training will be a success. When the solider train like that, with Eren giving his best they will survive everything outside.

Level 1: The forest

Level 2: With horses

Level 3: Alone

She can´t wait to see the end-fight between each soldier and Eren at the end of the month. With the knowledge that she also needs training Hanji jumps from her tree and starts her attack on Eren.


	22. Preparation

Today is a ´day off´ Levi calls it. Eren isn’t sure he really likes it. No training, everyone is busy preparing and resting and just doing boring stuff. He has all day for himself because Levi and Hanji are both busy so Eren decided to go flying for a bit with Moonlight but it really isn’t as fun as it seems without Levi.

It´s ok, they will go on their first mission tomorrow and they have to do important things. Sadly he can´t take Moonlight, she has to stay in the castle. Hanji calls her the castle´s guardian, still he will miss her. The mission is supposed to take a few weeks, the longest mission ever but Erwin told him that they had trained enough to make it out there.

Out there. Eren looks up at the wall, Wall Maria. He can´t look over the edge from his seat on the castle rooftop but he knows what´s out there. Freedom and loneliness. Levi had to promise him to take him back inside after the mission because in a short moment of insecurity and weakness Eren feared that they wouldn’t let him come back inside. Levi promised him to stay with him forever and last night he let Eren sleep in his bed. Something they don’t do often anymore. Erwin told him that it is a rule that every soldier has his own bed and sleeps in it. Stupid rule. He like cuddling up to Levi, his little human is soft and warm and a bit like the river in the summer.

Levi appears behind him around noon, not saying a word and just sitting next to him. He seems restless like everyone the last few days. It might have something to do with going outside the wall. Eren still doesn’t get it but this is because he is part titan, he doesn’t belong inside the wall. Thinking about it neither do the humans. No one should be restricted in their movement. The humans lock themselves away from the outside world and somehow it makes Eren sad that most of the humans are happy to be caged like animals.

“Are you happy to get out again. Even if it is just for a short time?” Levi asks into the silence. Eren has to think about it. He lived his whole life outside; he didn’t know anything other then this but it is not the freedom outside that gave him a home it was Levi. Levi who survived, who spend time with him, who wants to protect him and stay with him, who gave him a home. Suddenly Eren knows the answer to all the questions that sometimes invade his thoughts.

“I´m happy with you. Inside, Outside, in the underground city where you were born. Everywhere as long as you are by my side. You gave me a home and a family. Something I haven’t known to miss all my life, you took away my loneliness. Now I have it and I will do everything in my power to keep it. No wall and no rule will stop me from it.” Eren smiles at his human.

“Good.” Levi pulls him into his side, petting his hair and looking over the to the wall. “Stay forever. I will protect you, your home and your family. Don’t you worry, brat. No one will ever take you away from this. I will fight them until death and beyond.”


	23. First mission

They start the mission in the first hours of the day, the sun appears shyly and the waking nature is their constant companion on the way to the gate. Levi is riding alone this time. Eren got his own horse but he rides beside him. The last time they took this path in the opposite direction Eren and Levi shared his horse. Just three month, a very short time but much had happened. By watching Eren, Levi can see the changes. His little titan had grown. Not so much in size but he matured during his time in the castle. Due to his work and training with the other soldiers as to the lessons he took with Hanji. Levi also sees the emotional growth. Eren has lost the fear of loneliness for the most parts. He is there in the moment, with the people around him not any longer in the forest, alone and lonely.

Levi is also aware that he himself changed. His constant worry about the boy and his wish to protect him are securely tightened in his body. The child that pierced his walls with ease had made a nest inside of his heart and will never again leave it. The black whole that had been left behind isn’t filled or fixed but Eren was able to build a bridge to pass over the dark abyss Levi had been lost in. This creature had found him in the darkness and brought him outside, brought him freedom and hope. Dreams and a future. And Levi is risking all of this for a expedition. He knows they are good prepared, they trained, all of the soldiers are in better form then ever before. Eren is strong and can defend himself from titans and humans, still something inside of Levi wants to wrap the boy inside a blanket and hide him from the world.

Eren looks at him, feeling his staring eyes on him. He smile his smile that shines brighter as the sun and is warmer than any fire could ever be. “Look Levi we reached the city.” Eren points out and truth to his words the gates to Shiganshina is right in front of them. The gate is open as always, only a short way to the outside gate and they will pass the wall. The long line of soldiers on horses, with supply cars are all around them. Both Eren and Levi are in the front part, not the first but they will be with the first that leave the wall behind them.

The teams in the front are the once with the best and elite soldiers. The ones that fight if necessary to make a titan free way for them to follow. Of course the same kind of soldiers protect the sides but the front is the one that will get the most titan contact.

“Levi, why do I have to wear my hood again?” Levi looks at Eren, he and a few other soldier that are small in size (like Levi) had pull up their hoods to cover up the fact that they take a child into their group.

“Because you still look like 10 or maybe 11, not much older.” Eren puffed into the air.

“Not true, Hanji said I look more like a 13 year old.” Of course she did, Levi rolls his eyes.

“Still too young for this. So be quiet and wear the hood. I do it to, without complaining.” Levi gives his horse his heals to get a bit closer to Eren, not everyone should listen to them and shielding him from the side was also a good way to prevent someone seeing the child´s face.

“This is the same city we came in the last time, the people look a lot more excited this time.” Eren is right. Most town´s people see them off in a more positive way as when they return with the bodies or worse with less soldier an no bodies.

“It´s called Shiganshina.” Eren looks at him. “The city, its name is Shiganshina. Most expeditions start from here.” In the crowd are children that look at them with excitement, some of them might even dream of join them to go outside the wall. Most of them will never do it.

They come to a stop and wait for the gate to open. Levi sees the excitement in Eren´s eyes. “We go outside again.” He grins and gets ready.

“Stay close to me. Don’t get lost. We want to return home again. So no unnecessary things brat.” Levi also gets ready as the gate starts to open up.

“We will come back together my little human, don’t worry.” And with that they command their horses to a fast gallop, leaving the city and the wall behind them. Only the open world in front and the dangers of the freedom all around them.


	24. Outside again

It´s day 24 on their expedition. The longest they ever had, and Erwin knows exactly who to thank for. Not only are all 35 soldiers alive, a few got hurt but nothing major, the worst is a broken leg. They did map out a huge area, located possible set-ups for supported and storage unites for longer expeditions. Levi and Eren are a deadly team, most of the titan kills are their credit still the other soldiers, even the first-timers are prepared better than ever before and use their abilities to fight, to survive and kill as efficient as ever before.

One of the soldiers even said that the real titans are a joke compare to the training with Eren. That made the little titan laugh. He only follows Hanji´s rule for their game, its not like he would try to be as deadly as possible. Not all titan´s get killed by him in titan form, sometimes he doesn’t shift and fights with the others with the gear. The first time he did so Erwin wanted to say something but the proud look on the child´s face told him enough to not complain about it. Eren wants to be a solider like all of them and when the situation allows it, he fights like a human.

Sadly, they have to return to the wall, they will need another few days but their food supplies won´t last them for much longer. Food and everything else is packed in amounts that counts in the dead. Something no one had thought of. But it means they can return to the walls without death and new information and most importantly successful. No whipping mothers would wait for them, looking for their sons and daughters only to get a body part at most. This time they will return in glory and-

They see the wall, rising up in front of them but what they see doesn’t make any sense. Black smoke comes from the city within, fires are seen, eating away on houses. Houses they shouldn’t be able to see but there is a giant hole in the wall, the gate completely destroyed and nothing is left to block out the titans. A few walk inside the wall, making their way through the hole and all thoughts of glory and success disappear. Mankind has a very real new problem.

Erwin notice that he is not the only one looking completely shocked through the hole in the wall. Most of them look like they piece together the information but their brain doesn’t have the ability to make a real understanding out of these information.

“Everyone, get ready. We will enter the city over the wall, kill as much titans on your way down. We will get the horses later.” Erwins voice is clear. “Forward.” The soldiers of the Survey Corps get ready, blades in their hands. “Eren.” Erwin calls out, the boy looks at him, already his hood up. “Stay in your human for until I tell you something else. If the MP are still in the city we can´t have them see you.” The boy nods blades ready as is Levi next to him.

They shoot their cables into the wall and let themselves be pulled up higher as the top of the building. Most of the soldier jump right over the wall, attacking the titans that are still in the city. Erwin lands on top of the wall looking over the city of Shiganshina. On the other side Erwin finds the gate inside Wall Maria broken. If they don’t close the gate, mankind will lose most part of their area. They have to close the gate to the outside, the titans that breached through it can be killed later. Most important is to stop more from coming in.


	25. The broken gate

Levi jumps over the wall, closely followed by Eren, he keeps an eye on the boy, just in case. The city of Shiganshina is on fire, rubbles of destroyed houses cover the streets. Levi follows the roof tops (when they weren’t crushed) and attack the titans on his way. It weren’t many and the Survey Corps soldier took them down with easily.

They meet up as the city is free of the giants. “Team A, look for survivor.” Erwin´s order comes from close by. “Team B watch the gate, take down every titan that wants to enter.” Ten soldiers get into the air and return to the gate they just have crossed. “Team C, watch the other gate. Titans have invaded Wall Maria, they could come back.” Another group of 10 Soldiers goes into the other direction. Watching the other gate that had also been destroyed.

Levi, part of Team A, starts going through the streets, looking into houses that aren’t as broken down or crushed in and could be possible hide outs for people. Even calling out for them. Inside his heart a small voice tells him that it is useless. The gate could have been broken for days, the fires new. There weren’t many titans here, most must have followed the evacuation. There aren’t any humans left to save.

Levi returns first to Erwin who is planning with Hanji how to get the gate back. “We just need a few very big rocks, too heavy to get loose to lock the gate up. Of course that will lock the titans up with us but, than there is a limited number to kill.” Erwin is looking around the city, looking for something.

“And how will that work?” Levi questions. He know the answer already. Its like they wouldn’t get anything done without Eren anymore. Erwin looks at him, knowingly.

“You know that Eren has to close the gate, there is no other way.” Hanji looks at least a bit apologizing. She knows how much Levi hates it that Eren is (in his eyes) used. Eren doesn’t mind and that is the main problem he has with it. Eren always says yes, to everything. Is it cleaning the bathroom, training a bunch of soldier who could kill him with the right weapon, killing titans and protecting humans or risking his life while closing that stupid gate. Because one thing had become very clear on their mission outside. Eren is an enemy for titans and they treat him like it. Levi hadn’t thought about it before, always assumed that Eren is different but still a titan like the others. The boy explained it later that night, after an day of hunting and getting hunted that titan see him as much as food as every human.

“Fine but we need to protect him from the other titans.” Erwin nods.

“Go find me the biggest rock you can find. We know Eren can lift very heavy loads. Best would be one that could close the hole completely.” Levi nods and make his way over to the church, at the top of the tower he looks around. Best he would find a piece of the gate itself.

“So where are you. I need a big ass rock to fix that stupid gate.” Levi talks to himself as he finds one that could suit their plan. He jumps down the tower to go over to the giant rock, out of the corner of his eyes he sees that a titan wants to enter the city but the soldier guarding the hole do their work. Maybe they can safe humanity from themselves because with the lost land with a fallen wall, there is no way that it wouldn’t end in some food shortage or something and then the titan´s are the smallest problem, before the humans can get eaten they will kill each other for bread or less.


	26. New friends

There aren’t any titans left as Eren jumps over the edge of another building. Erwin told them to find survivors, how should any human have gotten away with their life in this city. All Eren can see and smell are dead bodies. Many humans are dead, he is afraid to see a familiar face of a human that had seen them off all this days ago. He doesn’t know them, not by name or anything about them but he had met them shortly, just a glimpse of their eyes. Eren doesn’t want humans dead, he wants to protect them, make sure they life and kill all titans. He knows that not only titans kill humans, humans kill humans too. Levi told him that, Levi who protects him from other humans and titans, his little human he want to keep safe forever.

Deciding that using his eyes isn’t helping complete his task Eren gets to the ground walking around the destroyed city, listening for a sound that isn’t one of his soldier friends, a smell of living humas, the smell of fear would give them away, maybe something else. Holding up his nose Eren takes in all the different smells around him, in his titan form it would be far easier but Erwin told him to stay in his human form so he has to work with what he got.

The smell of burning wood and flesh meet his nose first, the smell of dead, blood and fear are dominant as well. Cold fear, old and whoever felt that fear is dead or run hours ago. Slowly Eren walks pass a well and around a corner and stops frozen in place. It isn’t so much a smell but a noise that got his attention. It’s not a noise he could name but it is a human noise right in front of him. Where once had stand a house are only ruins left.

Eren runs toward the noise and find the debris of a roof blocking his way. With all his strength he pulls one piece of wood or stone after another away. It takes him a few minutes but his work gets rewarded by a knocking sound behind a wooden door in the floor. Behind that door are humans, humans that could be very frightened and fear he is a titan.

The titan-shifter knees down and knocks at the wooden door. “I´m here to help you, be careful when I open the door.” Eren wouldn’t lie and tell them that he is human. He is here to help, a simple truth. Eren pushes the last rock from the door and opens it.

What he finds are to human children. Around his own age if he had to guess, maybe a bit older. A small blond boy with blue eyes and a black-haired girl with a red scarf around her neck. Both look frightened but not hurt. Seeing him in his Scout uniform they seem to relax them a bit and they climb out of the basement staircase. “Are you hurt?” Eren asks, even when he can´t smell blood they could have other injuries.

The blond boy is the first to talk. “No, we did get away without injuries. Thank you for saving us. I´m Armin and that is Mikasa.” He points at the girl.

“I better take you to my commander. My name is Eren, nice to meet you.” Eren did learn normal social behaviour, not from Levi or Hanji but from Erwin. Always telling him what to do in normal conversation. He always said one day it could be very helpful. Thinking about it the situation doesn’t really scream normal but who is he to judge the boy, Armin for his politeness.

“What about the titans?” Asks Mikasa as they make their way back to the building Eren know Erwin is waiting for them.

“The titans are dead, a few soldiers guard both entrances.” Both stay very close to Eren and it makes him very happy. As they reach the right building Eren pulls both closer. “Hold on tight, we are going to fly.” Eren smiles encouraging at them and while he holds them tight at his body both tighten their grip on his body as well.

Eren shoots the cables up and let them be pulled up fast. The speed throws them over the roof side and Eren uses his Titan strength to take the impact by landing. He looks up and finds Levi watching him. “Brat I see you found new friends.”

Friends, that would be nice. Human friends with the same age. “Found survivor. That is Armin.” He nods toward the blond boy. “And that is Mikasa.”

“Not bad brad, come on Hanji will need to check them over and Erwin has a stupid plan for your to close the gate again.” Eren nods.

“Let´s go.” Eren takes the hands of his new humans and pulls them toward Hanji. “She isn’t as crazy as she behaviours but don’t let her do experiments on you.” He whispers and ignores both as they stare at him confused.

Hanji walks over to them. It seems as Eren is the only one that was successful finding living humans. A sad thought but at least he found someone, two someones. “Hey my little titan. Do you bring me some new test subjects?”

“No shitty-glasses, I found them buried under a building you should check them out.” Hanji ruffles his hairs as she always does when she things he is especially cute, mostly when he uses Levi´s nickname for her.

“Don’t worry I will take care of them. You go over to see Erwin.” Eren nods waves Armin and Mikasa a short good-bye and walks over to Erwin. He hears how Hanji gives them both water while checking them over.

Erwin waits for him and without further explanation he points at one giant rock in the middle of the city. “Levi found this one, I need you to pick it up and carry it to the gate to close up the wall. All the titans inside will be prisoned, and we can kill them without having to worry about more getting in. Can you do it?” It isn’t a real question.

“Yes.” Still Eren answers.


	27. Closing the gate

“Team A, support Team B at the gate. Protect Eren with everything you have.” Erwin shouts, the soldiers salute and make their way to the gate. Some inside, the other outside the gate. Levi, doesn’t move, he will stay with Eren the whole way. Both make their way over to the giant rock Levi had decided to be the most fitting one.

“Are you ready, Eren?” Levi doesn’t say brat, not right now. In situation like this he feels this overwhelming need to protect the boy. He doesn’t understand why but he wants to hide him away from the world. Eren would never let him and they both know it.

“Yes.” Eren jumps from the building and bits his hand. The bight yellow/green flash signals his transformation and titan Eren stands next to him. Levi let himself down on the ground, he will show Eren the way, the titan won´t be able to see where he is going, not what is directly in font of him. The heavy load will push him to the ground every second and Levi hopes it´s not too much.

Levi waits for Eren as the titan picks up the rock putting it on his shoulder. The ground beneath the titans feet gets crushed in and steam evaporates from Erens body. Levi´s mind helpful tells him that muscle and bones get damaged while carrying the thing.

“Eren follow me.” Levi calls out, wanting the whole thing to finish as fast as possible. He doesn’t want his child to feel pain.

It takes Levi a second to understand what his mind had called Eren. HIS CHILD. But thinking about it, its more like his brotherly feelings he had for Isabel and Furlan. He wanted to protect them but they grew up in a dark and dangerous place, together. They helped each other to survive. They were his brother and sister but Eren is different. Eren is a child and yes, he knows that he is growing up and he lets him be a soldier and all but still Levi thinks the feelings he has for the boy would be the same when he were his kid. Looking up at Eren, green eyes follow him, trusting Levi to take the shortest way. Trusting the other soldiers to protect him from the other titans Eren steps one foot in front of the other, getting closer to his goal.

“Just a bit further.” Levi calls out as he sees Eren getting slower. The titan huffs and get his speed up. At the gate Levi can see his team fighting off titans that want to enter through the gate. They are all outside the wall, keeping the hole open for Eren to do what he can. It fascinates Levi how far they have come. Normally after a very short expedition, where many soldiers find their death, they are depressed, shocked or still in denial, not this fighting mob of energy that protects their own titan.

A small smile appears on Levi´s face. Another smile in the collection of smiles earned by Eren, because all of this is just because of him. Without his little titan he would be dead, gladly that it had finally end but now he lives, he smiles and most importantly he isn’t alone anymore. Levi has found something to protect, someone he wants to shine everyday like the sun.

They reach the gate. “Go Eren, close the gate.” Levi shouts and gets out of the way as Eren half pushes half throws the rock into the open hole to close it up. All the energy the titan still had got thrown into this one movement. Levi sees as the rock is in place Eren climbs slowly out of the damaged titan body. Levi is ready to catch the tired boy in his arms and takes him up the wall while firing the green signal. Telling the other the mission was a success and that they can regroup on top of the wall.

Eren looks over the wall, outside, a few titans are left but none can enter. The sun is still high enough for the titan in human form to get some new energy. Levi lets him sit against his side. “Good job, Eren.” A tired smile is given to Levi.


	28. New world

Armin has seen many things in his young life. He lived with his grandfather, met bullies and a best friend, learned about the world he lived in and the world he shouldn’t know anything about. He had read books about the outside world, about flaming water and frozen earth he wants to see one day. He wants to see the sea with salt water, he wants to go outside, yes but he never really thought about what this means. His parents never came back from their try to go outside. The only one that can go out are the soldiers and they have to fight against titans every minute out there. Titans like the ones that broke through the gate.

He had been visiting Mikasa, his only friend as the titans came. They were fast. One second the giant titan looks above the wall and the next there is a big whole. Both Armin and Mikasa ran to her house, getting her mother but as they arrive a titan stands right next to them. Her mother ran out of the house while they stared at the ugly face of the titan, she picked up both and tried to run. Another titan came from the other side and the only way was back into the house. She through the door close and hurried the children down the basement stairs. There was no way to go further but he told them to stay their until she tells them to come out and closes the door behind them. It didn’t take long for the noise of titan step and crushing house to tell them that they were prisoner in this hole. They didn’t try the door until both were sure it was night and all sounds of giant feet on the ground had stilled.

They couldn’t open the door and after a whole day Armin found himself accepting that they will die down here. There was no way someone would come look for them. Even if someone would miss them, they wouldn’t know where to look and he doubt that the army will use soldiers for some rescue mission finding missing children that are most likely eaten by now. First, he thought getting eaten would be the worse death but dying down there on the stair of an old basement without light and the slow death of thirst sounds like the worst thing that could happen. The only good thing he could find is that Mikasa was with him. That might sound selfish, he could wish for her to be safe but he prefers to die with her by his side.

Mikasa and Armin were well aware when the new day started. They sound of titans walking around the city woke them and never really stopped until later the day. After an increased activity there was only silence until they hurt the debris above their head move. The first thought was that a titan had finally found them and would dig them out to eat them but the voice of a young man that followed a polite knocking on the door was a surprise.

“I´m here to help you, be careful when I open the door.” A soldier in the green cloak of the Survey Corps waits for them, blue sky and sunlight greets them. Something Armin feared to never see again. As both of them are out of the basement and had introduce themselves Eren, the soldier leads them through the streets. The titans have destroyed most of their home but he tries not to think about all the people that had lived in these houses. He doesn’t want to think about the red puddles on the ground, what they mean. So Armin concentrates on something else, this something is Eren, he looks far too young to be a soldier. He looks younger then Armin and he looks young for his 12 years. The soldier answers their question with smiles and no worries. Not like he wouldn’t care that people died here more like he is just happy to have found them. Living in the moment, his grandfather had told it once. The people who can say in one moment without worrying about the future or regretting the past. The soldier, Eren is a person like that.

Eren introduces them to another soldier and Armin recognizes Captain Levi, humanities strongest soldier. They talk only shortly before Eren pulls them over to a woman with messy brownish/reddish hair who really looked like she is crazy, at least her eyes. Eren´s warning does nothing to let him relax but what really stops his thought is the nickname the soldier, Hanji gives the soldier. Little titan, petting his hair as if he is a child, not a follow soldier and running over to the commandant that Armin identified as Erwin Smith. Another famous soldier, how had Mikasa and him ended up between these people, he ask himself quietly while Hanji starts to check them out for injuries and gave them some water to drink.

The cold water feels like heaven and Armin nearly misses as the commander gives new orders and everyone starts moving. Only Commander Smith and Hanji stayed with them. The other soldiers make their way to the hole in the gate while Eren and Captain Levi go into a different direction. Armin´s eyes follow them. He is still in some kind of shock but he heard their words, listening their plans and all sound so very wrong. Mikasa is next to him following their saviours movement as Hanji´s head is between them. “What you are going to see will shake the understanding of your world. It has to remain a secret.” Confused Armin wants to ask what secret but a sudden lightning and a new titan appearing stops every word he has tried to form in his mouth.

They just got away why is there another titan in the city? The Survey Corps doesn’t seem to mind and understanding comes to Armin. He watches a titan, a titan the Survey Corps controls lifting up a heavy rock, as big as the gasping hole in the wall. He sees Captain Levi walking in front of the titan, talking to him, no weapons in his hands. Armin watches as the other soldiers fight outside the wall and prevent other titans to enter and he hears the words again.

_Little titan_

_I need you to pick it up and carry it to the gate to close up the wall._

“Eren is a titan.” Whispered words only heard by Mikasa and Hanji. The first stares at him before letting her eyes return to the titan, who carries his heavy load while steam evaporates around him, the second one nods.

“That´s right. He is what we call a titan-shifter and he helps us on our mission. No solider had died this time around, after we all had been able to scale up our skilled with him helping us train and outside the wall protecting us. Don’t be afraid of him. He doesn’t say it out loud but your fear or hate would hurt him more than any blade can ever do.” Armin listens to surprisingly quiet words. He had thought of Hanji of a loud person and after her questionable first impression Erens words made him grinch but this is different. The person next to him is worried that two children would hurt her friend.

“We don’t fear him.” It´s Mikasa who is still watching the titan with wide eyes. “He is different. He is like the sunshine on a cold day bringing you warmth you didn’t know you needed. You can see it in his eyes. He is someone who prefers to get hurt then hurting others. He is a protector.”

A hurtful stink in Armins heart reminded him that Mikasa had seen real monsters before that day. Had seen true evil and the worst of mankind. No titan would ever be able to do what these humans did to her and her family and she is right. The titan-shifter who is closing up the wall is their saviour not a monster. Armin might be a child but he can see the difference between human and monsters. Not all humans are good, some are monsters as some titans are more human and good than a person could ever be.

“Good. Then let’s get up the wall, we will spend the night up their before we find out what is going on, inside. The way until we reach Wall Rose is long.” Hanji takes them up the wall and for the first time in their young life they see something outside the wall, a world beyond the stones and shadows.


	29. Investigation

Hanji leads the children over to Eren, better to keep the young ones together. After a quick check up on an exhausted Eren she finds some blankets for the last survivor of this attack. Both thank her and she ignores Levi´s look. He had hoped for some quality cuddle time with Eren as it looks like but the titan-shifter had found his place on another blanket next to him and the children.

“Armin, Mikasa, I have a few questions for you two. As you are my only witnesses to the attack until we reach Wall Rose.” Hanji sits down offering gifts in from a food and more water. The children must be hungry. “Tell me everything you remember.” Her voice is soft and not her usual shrieking-self but she needs these children with a clear mind and not frightened.

“We saw it.” Armin starts. “A titan taller than the wall, with no skin and all muscles. He looked above the wall, his hands on it. Everywhere was steam and then he kicked in the gate.” Hanji waits, saving every bit of information she can get from them.

“Where did the titan go? Could you see it?” Armin shakes his head but Mikasa is the one answering.

“No, it vanished just like it appears out of nowhere.” She looked at Eren for a second. “There was a flash before the ground shook.” Armin nods and Hanji looks at Eren who seems to get what they are saying. They had already seen the footprints of the titan that broke through the gate, just two steps. As if the titan had appeared and not taken another step.

Just like Eren, a titan that can appear seemingly out of thin air, another shifter. Hanji had thought about it before. When she had examinate Eren (as far as Levi would let her) and the one question she really wanted and needed an answer couldn’t be answered.

Are there more? More like Eren. Titan-shifter that can transform or change between their two forms willingly. There had to be. Hanji didn’t find any indication that Eren was specially made or bread. He was most likely born like every other human and somehow got the ability. Something that must have happened years before or Eren would remember.

Hanji turn to Eren. “Have you ever felt like there are others like you?” Eren meets her eyes, clouded with worry and guilt as he shakes his head. Her little titan can´t help her. He doesn’t know.

Erwin who stands behind her choses the moment to speak up. “There must be more, the other gate wasn’t kicked in, so we have at least two of these new titans, or titan-shifter.” Erwin turn to Armin. “Did you see the other one?” He asks.

Both shake their head. They didn’t. They run to Mikasa´s house and ended up by the basement stairs where Eren found them. “What will happen to us?” Armin finally dares to ask. Hanji sees what he is thinking about, the secret she had let them both witness.

Before Erwin or Levi can scare these lovely kids Hanji speaks up. “We are taking you to Trost, don’t worry there will be all the other people that could escape.” She offers them a smile.

“You can share my horse.” Eren suddenly starts to speak, the first words since he had arrived up on the wall. “I will ride with Levi.”

“Hoi brat, who said I will share with you. You just gave your horse way. You can walk.” Levi tries to look annoyed.

“Really you will let me run as fast as your horse and even faster, that will look silly. Humanities strongest rides a slow horse a child can surpass.” Erens giggle isn’t stopped by the hit on the head from Levi, a very light hit of course. It certainly doesn’t stop Armin, Mikasa and Hanji to join in on the titan.

“Shut up brat.” Eren smiles brightly.

“Oh, Levi he could have shared my horse with me. I could find out how his muscles regenerate after such a task.” Her words are the last thing that Levi needs to pull Eren closer.

“Eren you stay with me, shitty glasses doesn’t get you as a test subject.” Sometimes its easy to get people to laugh, to stay in the moment, to be happy for what you have without thinking about the future or the past. Hanji makes a face, playing along, noticing that the children are even more relaxed, they soon will be sleeping like only children can.


	30. Good-bye, for now

The way to the wall is not a short one, Mikasa realizes quickly. She hadn’t been to the inner wall, she never thought she would. There was never a reason for her to leave. Sadly she noted at the morning of their first day of riding that she had passes the wood where her parents house stood without really looking for it. She was too occupied. For once she is no expert in riding, nether is Armin so they aren’t sharing a horse. She is sitting in front of Hanji and Armin with Eren. She is a bit jealous but after noticing how exhausting it is to get pushed over to Hanji when Eren runs off with Levi to kill attacking titans she is glad to be with her. The Scouts, who seem to be a strange mess of loud and crazy people are highly concentrated while riding along the river.

They have more than one titan encounter but Eren and Levi take care of them, its not that there aren’t other soldiers, but it seems like killing titans is a game for them and they are really good at it. Their commander let them and he doesn’t seem to mind what they are doing as long as Eren stays in his human-form (except for really dangerous situation, whispers Hanji in her ear). It takes them three days, three days in becoming friends with Eren who really is a ray of sunshine.

Mikasa imagine that they would be friends like that when Eren had grown up inside the wall, living in their city. It seems that Eren is not really new of the concept of friends but he never had any friends his own age, he told them. Armin is fascinated by his life before and asks a lot of questions about the outside world. About the forest he lived in and if he had ever seen the frozen land or visit the sea. Eren hadn’t, he didn’t even know most of the thinks Armin is talking about even exist and his eyes shine bright.

Eren wants to see all these things and more. His first reaction is to run over to Levi, who is in some kind of meeting with Hanji and Erwin. He just interrupted them and nether seems to mind. She cant really hear what he is saying but the faces of the other people tell her enough. Hanji seems as excited as Eren and both look at Erwin with giant puppy eyes, who just shooks his head in a no but at least explains his reasoning. She can tell by the eyeroll Levi makes as two very excited people try to talk their commander into their plan.

In the end Erwin wins (shocker) and Eren returns to them. “Erwin says we have to get rid of the titans inside the wall first before we can go out for another expedition.” Eren turns back to look at his commander. “That includes the potentially unknown titan-shifter, we can´t leave with them inside.” He looks sad. “I wanted to see that ocean with the salty water.”

Armin pulls him down. “You will, one day. You know now that the ocean is out there, no you can look for it.” Armin smiles, another dreamer was born.

“Do you want to see the outside too.” Eren suddenly asks her. She is always more on the quiet side of a conversation.

“The only way to go out is as soldiers.” Mikasa says, they all know it. As long as the danger of the titan´s isn’t erased there is no way for a normal human to take a step out of the wall. The glimpse of freedom they had seen from the wall was all they would ever get.

“Do you want to become soldiers?” Eren continued. A logical step that follows his first question, Mikasa didn’t answer probably.

“We will most likely end up as soldiers anyway. There is no way that we can support mankind with only the area inside Wall Rose, there will be foot shortages, they will make all the refugee work the fields and that doesn’t take us further to freedom.” Armin says, he had already thought about it and this is the only way for them to do something else in their life then working like slaves. And Mikasa realizes that she will join anyway. There are titans, monsters outside that dare to take away someone’s freedom. She hates monsters like this and she will take their life away, a mercy in her eyes. Living without freedom is like no life at all, only that the suffering continues on endless.

“We will join and we will meet up with you again.” She finally tells Eren, Armin nods beside her. They both had a day in darkness and imprisonment, they will never again feel so helpless.

As they enter the Wall Rose, they already see what the people that could escape face. Discrimination, hated and nothing else. Hanji is the one that brings them to a building where they both can be taken off of any death list, not that they thought anyone was looking for them. They would be able to sign up for military service as soon as their status is cleared. Without papers or anything else its hart but Mikasa doubts they will send away soldiers.

It´s a good bye, they all know it. The training takes 3 years. Lots of things can happen in such a long time. Eren gives them a hug, she loves his hugs and they promise to meet again soon. He has to go a different route but someday they will walk the same way again. She promises herself while she holds on Armin´s hand and they watch the hooded figure disappearing in the crowd, wings of freedom as a silent reminder on his back.


	31. Undercover

Two months after the break through Wall Maria happened Levi finds himself in his commanders office. They had come back from another mission to kill the titans inside the wall but the area is too big. It will take ages to find a single titan, then they have to kill it and they cant cross of any area. The titans are on the move and no one knows how many really got inside.

Another problem are the so called titan-shifter. Like Eren, but different. Those titans are the topic of todays meeting. Erwin isn’t alone, Dot Pixis, Chief Official of the Southern Territories is sitting next to him. The man shouldn’t be here, Levi is sure that his rang and position has nothing to do with whatever plan Erwin had made up now. Because the only other people who are here are Hanji and Eren. These combination of people let him fear for nothing good or to his liking.

And he is right Erwin starts to speak and Levi definitive isn’t a fan of it. “We got information that the most likely candidate for the titan-shifter are people around Eren´s age and for whatever goal they are having we think they will sign up for military training.” Eren nods, still listening without questioning his presence or what Erwin will tell them. “Considering the number of new recuits we can´t know who it is, for that I have undercover work for both of you.” That part surprises Levi but keeps quiet. “Levi I want you to take over part of the training as a instructor and Eren I want you to go through military school. Lean with the other cadets, make friends and find out which are the most likely to be titan shifters.”

Eren lifts his hand, he learned that move from Hanji and her reading lessons. “What does undercover mean?”

“It means you pretend to be someone you are not.” Levi answers quickly.

“Okay.” Levi sees Eren think. „Why do I have to go to school. I can already use the gear and know the tactics stuff and I can read. Hanji taught me.”

“That´s the point, you will pretend to not know all of that, except reading, everyone your age should be able to read. You will have a lot of time watching the people around you to find out who could be the titans.”

“But won´t they find out who I am?” Eren isn’t so sure he likes the whole undercover thing.

“No, if everything works out, you will be like every other human soldier, training until graduation to become a soldier. You can of course give your best but no shifting and you have to pretend that you don’t know Levi.” It doesn’t take a genius to understand that it was the absolute worse Erwin could have said. Levi lends back to enjoy the show because his little titan would never let that happened. If Levi has to guess he would say his own undercover work is just to make them both happy enough not to fight him on this one.

“No. I will not pretend that I don’t know Levi. I will not do that.” Eren sits down with crossed arms fixing Erwin with angry eyes. They forget sometimes that he is a child, a child with limited time with others and a fear of being lonely.

“Eren, Levi will be there, you just can´t be with him every second. He has to be an instructor for everyone and you will have many of those.” Erwin tries to reason. “It won´t be forever, just until you or Levi found out who the shifter are. You will see your new friends again. They sign up and they will help you with your cover story. You won´t be alone.” Levi sees that nothing changes in Eren, he will be happy to see his friends but this is the one thing he won´t do.

Levi doesn’t want to waste more time and takes pity on both Eren and Erwin as their conversation comes to a stop. “We will meet up with the other brats, the story will be that I was the one that saved all three of them out of their destroyed house, that’s the reason they know me. So all three can be more relaxed around me and Eren.” Eren looks at him. “If you want a hug or something we meet at night. During training is a no-go. That’s the same as in the castle. Understand.” Eren looks a bit said but at least its kind of a compromise.

“Good, Eren your name will be Eren Jäger from now on. You were born and grew up in Shiganshina. You two will meet up with the Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackermann and talk over the details. Both of them are not allowed to ever speak about you, the shifter or the plan but we need their help to get Eren´s cover and hide any signs he isn’t human. Like your ´not eating´ food.”

“I guess Chief Official Pixis is here for some reason?” Levi ask as Eren had nod and sealed their fate for the next three years.

“Yes, I am here because Erwin consulted with me and we both worked out this plan. I hope you will be able to teach your new pupil how to fight and survive. I heard lots of good things about your new special titan training for the Survey Corps, hope you will continue that good work after the shifter problem is solved.” Levi doesn’t like the man´s smile but that has nothing to say, Levi doesn’t like a lot of people.

“Hanji, teach Eren how he has to act around the other recruits and you now make sure they don’t stick out too much.” Everyone heard that this was meant for both Eren and Levi. As if he would kill all his students on the first day. Maybe the second will teach them how to fight probably.

They all salute and Levi, Hanji and Eren leave to meet up with the Armin and Mikasa. Eren is a lot happier, knowing he will meet his friends again and is patiently listening to Hanji as she explained the rang order, the lesson structure and what is expected of him. Also, the smaller details of his cover. Eren has to repeat it until he would say it without mistake and answer right to question. Except for the last part Levi listened too, pretending not to but he never went to school, any kind of school for that matter. That will be interesting few years to come.


	32. Reunion

Armin isn’t really sure what is waiting for them. Mikasa and him had sign up for military serves but they didn’t go to the medical tent for the mandatory check-up, they were brought into a different one. What waits for them are three well known faces to them and one stranger. The uniform the stranger is wearing tells Armin enough to know that this is something big. Both salute as good as they can, only copying what they have seen during their time with the Survey Corps. They aren’t real soldiers, not yet at least.

Eren on the other hand didn’t salute, he just run up to them to give them a hug. Armin relaxes and he feels the same in Mikasa´s body as they get pressed together by their friend. They hadn’t seen each other for two long months. Months where Armin had thought that it will be impossible the ever see each other again. Three years training sounds not much regarding that they have to fight against titans after that but except for their wish to see Eren again they had nothing else. They were alone and no one cared for them or what they do. So their goal becoming soldiers and join the Survey Corps was all they had.

“I missed you.” Eren whispers in their ears. Before he is pulled back by Captain Levi.

“Calm down brat, you will see a lot of them in the near future, so shut up idiot ant let Erwin explain what is going to happen.” Eren gets his hair ruffly petted by him and Armin has to hide his smile. The captain always does pretend to be cold, except for Eren.

Erwin starts to talk and Armin fixes his attention to the blond man. “We heard you two signed up.” They nod. “Good, so this will be your first mission.” Armin looks to Mikasa, she has to look as surprised as he is. “Eren here will pretend to be a new recruit like you two. This is a long-term undercover mission. You two will have to act like Erens friends who grew up together. His cover story is the same as yours. He grew up in Shiganshina, together with you, he got rescued by the Survey Corps, or better Levi here.” You were always together and joined up together.” Erwin waits a minute to let the new information sink in. “One of your new instructors will be Levi, so any conversation or to familiar behaviour will be explained by it. Any questions?”

Armin wants to ask why, he really wants to know but he isn’t sure it is his place to ask. But his decision is taken from him as Eren steps forward again. “Hi my name is Eren Jäger. Nice to meet you.” And there is it again, the smile Mikasa told him is tasking like freedom, the greenish/blueish eyes that remind them of the sky and somehow Armin imagines the ocean must look like it.

“So our mission is to pretend that Eren grew up with us and our relationship with Captain Levi is explained by him saving us?” Armin ask and gets a nod out of Erwin. “What else are we supposed to do?”

This time it is Levi who answers. “Eren here doesn’t eat human food, so you have to find a way to cover up the fact. Share it between you, give it to other people but let no one see it and when Eren does something that is clearly not a normal human way to do something, find an excuse. Don’t care what.”

“Eren will stay with us for the three years?” Mikasa asks, her first words since they entered this surreal meeting. Armin still has to find out who the man in the corner is that hadn’t bothered to introduce himself.

“He will stay as long as he needs to be to find out what we need to know. It can take three years maybe even longer, who knows. But for now that’s all I can say.” Erwin looks over to the stranger who finally seem to do something. “This is Dot Pixis, Chief Official of the Southern Territory, he is the highest member of the military informed about this mission. When something isn’t going to work out, or you feel in danger and can´t reach one of us.” Erwin points at Levi and himself. “He is the only other person outside the Survey Corps who knows about Eren and this mission.”

“I think the children are informed enough; they should hurry up for the check-up. The transport will leave soon. They will have enough time to talk about everything else.” The man, Dot Pixis smiled at them but it isn’t a smile like Erens, its more quiet, more hold back and Armin would like to know what lays behind it.

“Let´s go.” Eren who already jumps up and catches their hands to pull them away is far to excited.

“Eren, we just signed up, that is a very serious matter, you shouldn’t be too happy, or everyone will think you are insane.” Armin tells him and out of the corner of his eyes he bets an appreciated nod from Erwin. He does his job helping Eren already better than they had thought.

“I see that this will work.” Pixis says. Levi just rolls his eyes, he probably had talked about it to Eren before, more than once by the look of it. “Take everything you can out of the training, it will save your life one day.”

They leave and Eren keeps quiet as possible while they get their check-up and go to the transport caravan. Their new lives as soldiers had started and they already have a mission, not bad for the first day.


	33. School – Part 1

There are more recruits than ever before in his time as Head Instructor. Keith Shadis walks down the line of the children because honestly, most of them are nothing else. The recruitment age of 12 doesn’t help. Who leaves 15-year-old soldiers out to get eaten by titans? None of this thought is shown on his face, his first step is always to sort out the weakest, the ones that aren’t made to be soldiers. This year is a bit different; he had thought that they would join a few more after the attack and the fall of wall Maria. But this is more than he had expected. There are also more recruits with potential. He sees it in their eyes. Children who have seen the titans or just lost their home due to the fact that everyone had to get out of Wall Maria. They want to fight, for the right reasons and Shadis can respect that. That doesn’t stop him from tormenting everyone who shows him fear or weakness in any other kind of way.

Another thing that irritates him is Levi, the grey-eyed Survey Corps Captain. Such a talent, why is he really here? The only thing he was told was that they are looking for something, nothing more. Thankfully, he would take over the 3DMG training, maybe some of the talent would get passed over to these children, maybe some of them will survive longer with his help.

Passing another line, he finds something strange. All the children here have different looks in their eyes but still there are all the same in some way. There is fear, determination, hope, confusion, insecurity but what he is seeing now is joy. Not the ´looking forward for revenge´ joy, no plain and simple happiness. In all his years was that the first time to see such an emotion on a recruit’s face.

“What’s your name cadet?” Shadis ask the green-eyed boy and sees now something wild and … free in these eyes. Eyes that have seen thinks he would never understand. There is a wild animal inside this boy´s body. Something untameable.

The boy salutes. “Eren Jäger, sir.” In the corner of his eyes, Shadis sees the two children next to him watch them closely, different then when he talks to the other recruits. They must belong together, friends most likely.

“Are you even old enough to be here?” Even if not Shadis doubt he will get the boy to send back in civilian life.

“I´m 12 years old, sir.” At least he is polite.

“So why is a 12-year-old child happy to join the military? Do you like to get eaten by the titans?” Hopefully, this boy isn’t some simpleton that joint because he doesn’t understand what´s going on.

“I´m happy to be with my friends and make new ones. So, we can fight together against the titans.” The child really has the courage to smile even brighter at him.

“Oh, you really are stupid am I right? Do you think fighting against titans will be fun? I will take this joy out of you don’t worry.”

“Why shouldn’t I have fun fighting against humanities enemies? Isn’t that better then to hate every day of my life by doing something I don’t really want to do. When you do something you like your heart is in it and whatever happens in the end you will never be disappointed in yourself.” This boy is something else. Answering his rhetorical questions and even arguing with statements that only children and dreamers will get but still making his point.

“Enjoy it as long as you can, I doubt that your view of the world won´t change after meeting your first titan.” Shadis starts turning around but sees how the recruit opens his mouth to say something but is quickly shut up by the person next to him. A girl with black hair and determent eyes. Someone he won´t need to talk to, but it is a bit funny seeing her kicking the other boy in the leg and earning herself the most confusing look he had ever seen. That boy didn’t have any clue about the world he just entered. Shadis continues his tour and finds himself with another strange child, what is she thinking eating a potato.


	34. School – Part 2

Training wasn’t as hard as Mikasa had thought. It is hard, yes but she will manage, Armin doesn’t look too good but he is a fighter, he always was. He just never got the will to let it out, now with a goal he can do it, just his body needs a while to keep up with it.

The problem is Eren or better Eren has no problem at all in the physical department, he is on top of the class in every category. He runs faster as everyone, can keep going without sweating when others are already on the ground vomiting out their guts. It is mostly her job to stop him and after the first week of very suspicious looks they have the rule, he can go first but he has to look how good Mikasa does and be just a bit better. So when she runs 10 rounds, he is allowed to do 11 in the same time. It was hart to stop the titan-shifter. She understands, keeping yourself from doing your best when all the instructors tell you to do it, is hart.

On the other side are the tactical training and every other school related subject. Eren isn’t very good at any of it. He doesn’t have to learn all the tactics. Most of them he had already done in practise in his time with the Survey Corps but basics like writing and reading. Armin has to help him when they have to ride up reports or other writing related homework. Eren confessed that he only learned how to read after he came inside the wall with Levi.

The training with Levi is something else. He is rude and demanding. He is unforgiving and everyone who doesn’t perform perfect gets to do it again and again until he is happy. Or whatever he feels when they do it right. Mikasa can´t read his moods and she often asks Eren who is far to relaxed about the man everyone else fears, respects but fears anyway.

The story of them getting rescued and brought back spread like wildfire. They told it like Commander Erwin told them to after Eren slipped in his first 3DMG Training by running over to Levi and giving him a hug. Mikasa hadn’t try to stop him, she hadn’t thought that Eren would do that. After the day of training during dinner Jean asks how they know Levi because Armin and her had to pull Eren away from him and got to talk to the Captain. So, they told them or better Armin told them the story about them getting buried under the debris of their house, Levi finding them and getting escorted back to Trost with the Survey Corps. They all listened, not only Connie and Sasha who sat on their table, but everyone around them also listened. They all know where the three come from. Shiganshina, a synonym for horror and death these days. They try to get the conversation away from the fact that they saw how Eren closed the gate. They just said that the Survey Corps had closed the gate before they were freed. They hadn’t seen it. Better lying than getting the truth out.

The food thing was solved easily. The solution is called Sasha. In the first days they shared the food while sitting alone but they are often the first for dinner and they can give it to Sasha when she comes, some of it stays on Armin´s and Mikasa´s plate.

The one thing they can´t control is Eren and his words. Sometimes there are definitive words in his sentences that don’t belong there. Not when a human speaks. Like the word human, he even called Captain Levi ´my little human´ and Mikasa was endless thankful that no one else heard it. Eren earned himself a slap on the back of his head for it.

The truth about the military training is that it is the greatest time Mikasa ever head. She is as free as you can be in a world where cruelty is a daily thing, where you are locked away inside walls and where people can be the worst you will ever meet. Here she has friends, something to aim for, training and a purpose for every day. She loves it, even more so that she can share this experience with Armin and Eren. Her family. She had changed their relationship in her head far sooner than she even realizes. Eren and Armin are her brothers and she will fight with them for humanity, for their freedom and for hers. Three years of training suddenly sound far to short for such a precious time. But all three will join the Survey Corps she only hopes that Eren finds what he is looking for during their time. Much isn’t left of it.


	35. School – Part 3

“Levi, am I stupid?” Eren asks as he sit down next to Levi on the roof of the dining hall. Their monthly-full moon-meeting is today.

“What, no. Why? Did someone call you stupid?” Eren sees it in Levi´s eyes and warmth spread in his body. If he would name someone that isn’t treating him right the man would jump up and pull that poor soul out of bed and punish him or her.

“No, not really. Its just that they think I am … wrong. I don’t know what they mean with it but they say that me happily training and looking forward to join and everything I do is not normal.” Levi sights.

“They are not wrong. You are different because you grew up outside. You never felt imprisoned inside the wall. You never feared what they have feared their whole life. You never lost something to the monsters that awaits them at the end of this training. You never felt hunger or cold like them because many joined to avoid it.” Levi looks up at the full moon.

“Is that a bad thing?” Eren watches the captain that is so much more than his mentor, he is more then a friend. He is his family and these months and even years they already spend together showed him that. They can´t really be just Eren and Levi while they have training and Eren misses their time together in the forest, even his time in the castle was different. There were always other people and at the beginning it took Levi a long time to even think about relaxing around other humans. Now they are surrounded by people who think of them as different people and it didn’t take Eren long to dislike undercover missions. Still he is here for a reason.

“No Eren, it´s not bad. Be like you always have been. I like you different. Different doesn’t mean bad. Its something else then you normally expect. I am also different. I told you about the underground city, about the world with no sky and crimes around every corner. Where life is a survival game and you have to make out your own rules to be able to get up the next day. Today they give me the title humanities strongest. A few years ago I was the demon of the underground. A monster to be feared. You are not wrong and can be happy because your heart is full with freedom and you share it with everyone. Stay like you are.” Eren smiles and rests his head on Levi´s shoulders. “But stop growing. You are already taller than me.” Eren giggles.

“Can´t help it the food is too good.” Levi looks at him with a huff.

“Brat you are not eating.” That gives him a full-blown laugh.

“Yeah, but Armin told me to say that.” Eren counters.

“Oh, did he? That little shit will run some extra rounds tomorrow.” Eren let his laughing slowly die out.

“I still think they are here. But I can´t tell who. It all smells the same in some way and Mikasa told me not to sniff on people. If I had to say something, I would say there are more then two. At least three, if not more. I never met them in their titan form, so I don’t really know. Do I really have to stay here when the three years are over?”

“No, you will come back with me and hopefully they will join us as well. So we have them right under our nose.” Levi pets Eren´s hair. He misses this feeling and is already counting the days when it is time to return to the castle.

“I miss the outside.” Eren didn’t want to say it but it slipped out, it doesn’t matter anyway because Levi understands what he means.

“I know. I can´t wait for our next mission. They are almost done with the titans inside the wall. Shitty Four-eye will let me know when it is done.” They both know that it will take months to clean out inside of Wall Maria. They already invested lots of resources for it and the graduation isn’t so far off. Maybe both will be done at the same time. Eren hopes so. He wants to out again, riding his horse next to Levi and feel the wind. He wants to take out Armin and Mikasa and find the ocean and the field of sand and the earth of ice and the lake of fire. So much he hadn’t know exists outside the walls, outside his territory and the forest. So much to see and Eren wants to see it all. Feeling the freedom.


	36. Wall Maria

Hanji sighs as she puts down her glasses and looks out of the window. The first rays of sun appear to tell her she had spend another night working through. Not that she minds. She is currently very busy sorting out every bit of information she got form Levi, Eren and the military applications of the 104th. She has picked out the two most likely to be like Eren. The most holes in their background story. They are in the top 10. She knows Eren has to hold back or is made to hold back but the other shifters have to do that too. Still, you can´t hide that you are physical advanced to humans. Someday it just hast to come out.

After graduation they need to take them out as fast as possible. Best way is one by one. The colossal titan is a danger to the wall itself but the armoured titan will be hart to fight against it. Both are just different from their ordinary titans. Hanji doubts their blades will do anything to them. She hadn’t seen them in action and it makes her scream inside that he had missed it.

A knock on the door gets her attention and Erwin enters. He looks like he just came out of a poster catalogue for the perfection of wearing a uniform and looking all uptight soldier. She really misses the days of titan training with Eren and to annoy Levi until he wants to kill her.

“Good morning.” Hanji greets the commandant.

“Have you worked out our first target?” She nods and gives over the file containing her report and the profile about the recruits he thinks are most likely the shifters.

“They are in the top ten and when Eren gets them to join we have a better chance of getting them away from everything.” She offers, Hanji is feeling tired. A feeling she didn’t have often. Whenever something gets her attention, her energy level rises and every thought of sleep or food vanish.

“After graduation we will take that on. We also need to train our new soldiers as soon as Eren and Levi are back. The others need a bit freshen up. Our last missions to clean out the walls didn’t go as smoothly. We had to many injured to my liking.” Erwin closes the file and looks at her.

“At least our casualties gone down since Levi found Eren. You can’t denial it.” She had seen them return. They were exhausted and many were hurt but the wall is free of titans again. It had only taken three years. The most difficult part was to be sure. The area is big and many titans were walking around aimlessly. The ones going to the wall, to the smell of humans were the easy ones.

“We need to act fast, who knows what the shifters will do when they hear that the wall is ready to get resettle again. We can´t let them open the gate again or destroying the wall in a way we wouldn’t be able to fix it again.” She still sees the hole in the wall as they returned from their first successful and longest expedition they ever had. Three years ago and sometimes she feels like the one that comes from outside. The one wanting to go out again. Being outside and seeing all the new things, seeing the titans walk around it is the most beautiful thing.

“Can we get me a few titans on our next real expedition outside.” She needed to ask, she hadn’t done it in months and there is no way she lets Erwin forget that he had promised her some titans. They weren’t able to catch one alive of the one inside. Maybe she will get one with Eren´s help when the whole shifter thing and the threat of humanities downfall is gone. When they go out to explore and find out where titans come from and if they do to destroy the source to finally be free. Before that she needs the titans, she wants to study them. She has so many plans what to do with them.

“I haven’t forgotten, no worries.” Erwin sighs, takes the report under his arm and turns around to leave. “You should get some sleep. I will go to find our new recruits today and when we return there will be much to do for all of us.” He leaves and Hanji decides that she really could use some sleep. Maybe she will dream about a new experiment she can do with Eren, one Levi wouldn’t object against it.


	37. Graduation

Erwin looks down at the young soldiers in front of him. He told them what they will do, what their job entitled. He said that their life is something they will be asked to give away and still they stay. Young and shaking in fear. Most of them. Eren is smiling up at him, happy to return to the castle and to his friends, with more to bring along. It still amazes him how this boy, had changed the Survey Corps by just being there with them.

The body count is the one thing, his colleagues from the other military bunches have no idea how they had changed their way of handling things, the bad reputation of the Survey Corps hadn’t changed so much even after Eren helped them.

The new recruits look frightened and excited, shocked and disbelieving. As if they can´t comprehend what they just did by staying here. They will follow him and that is all that counts. They will help the Survey Corps to catch or eliminate the shifter so they can focus on their real mission. Explore the outside world and find a way from humanity to leave the walls behind, without fear and death awaiting them.

Sadly, their well-prepared plan to get the new recruits outside the wall didn’t work out. Halfway back to the headquarters with only a few hours of riding left something changes. It might have been Hanji who told Levi about the experiment they want to do or Eren asking him about the status of Wall Maria and if they could go back out there. It might have been the slip in the undercover work or the answers to question that provided information that shouldn’t have been said. In the end it has the same result.

One of their suspects Reiner Braun stops his horse and before any of them could react the familiar flashes explode at the place where the young man hand stood. The armoured titan took his place, the young soldiers out of the 104th are too shocked to even move, their other suspect Berthold Hoover doesn’t move either. Maybe because he doesn’t want or can. It doesn’t make a difference as the titan starts his attack, on him. Erwin had thought about it, what the shifter would do when they are cornered, attacking him was on the lower end of the list. First was and always will be Eren. He is a shifter, they could want him, alone for the fact that he is stronger as any other normal titan.

“Fall back.” Erwin shouts. With only Hanji, Levi and Eren as his support he has no other choice he can´t let their new recruits die on their first day. “Hanji take the 104th away from here, get them ready. Eren transform, Levi and I will support you. Try not to kill him.”

They salute and Hanji takes the other teenager further away from the fighting ground. Aware that they have most likely another shifter with them. Levi is next to him, they both face the titan and don’t look behind them as Eren transformers to attack his enemy.

The sound of the titans on the ground, the shaking of the earth and their screams take in everything. Levi has no real chance to interact. He certainly tries and is able to slice the back of one knee. It takes the stable stand away but Eren still has his difficulties. Their blades are useless against the hart skin of the titan. The armour the titan has on his body is hart, their blades can´t cut, the only places are between the armour pieces. Both titans are to fast, but Erwin sees how Eren tries to get a good grip on the titan to stop him from moving. The sickening sound of bursting muscles and breaking armour, Levi tries to help he too can see that this fight, as short as it may seem, takes out a lot of Eren. Who hadn’t trained for three years and never fought like this before.

Behind him he hears some tumult, the soldiers deserve an explanation, and they will get one. As soon as they have finished off their enemy.

“I can´t cut him out.” Levi shouts, standing half on Eren´s shoulder and having the other leg on the armoured titan.

Erwin takes a look on Eren, he sees his strength decrease but right now their titan has a secure hold on the titan. He lands on the armoured titan´s chest. “Will you come out or do we have to eliminate you?” The eyes of the titan follow him as he walks closer, not too close. A short headshake is all the answer he needs. “Eren take him out.” Erwin jumps down from the titan as the fighting starts again.

The armoured titan realizing that he is no longer a potential prisoner but their next dead body. He begins to struggle, his fight to survival kicks in Erens own last power resources.

The one moment Eren has a secure hold on him, the next he is free and gets the moment of surprise. The victim of this surprise attack is Levi. The titan got hold on his cables and pulls the small man towards him. With this he had signed his own death. Erwin sees it, Eren´s anger, his fear and his furious untamed wildness. Erwin get to his horse to get some distance. There is no doubt what will happen next.

Unstoppable Eren crushes into the armoured titan holds him down with strength no one knew he processes and bites out the vulnerable nape of his enemy. Erwin can see legs and arms remain inside the body as Eren crushes the human body between his teeth. A familiar picture. A titan eating a human but still different.

Levi frees himself and Eren stops his movement as the armoured titan´s body starts to dissolve and steam covers them all.

They won but what is the price for this victory?


	38. Witness

Armin had seen Eren transform once but that was years back and he didn’t stand directly next to him. Now he had witnesses two transformance and could feel the confusion and shock all around them. Armin is also confused.

Hanji takes them further away and the recruits listen to her, Mikasa is watching Eren in worry, fighting her instinct to run into the fight. But with Captain Levi and Commander Erwin at his side there is not much they can do. Armin looks over at Hanji who is watching the fight, holding back her excitement about the titans and also keeping an eye on them. It suddenly occurred to him that the titan shifter isn’t the only one in their small group. Eren never talked about it but it makes sense. Finding the titan shifter under the new soldiers. That means she isn’t protecting them from accidently running into the fight but from whoever is the other shifter in their group. And if there really is one, she would need help.

Slowly Armin makes his way over to Mikasa, she is their best fighter, the most willing to fight. “Mikasa.” Armin whispers. She doesn’t look away form the fight. “There is another one between us. Eren has the armoured one. Remember which one will be the other shifter.” They know it. The colossal titan who broke through the wall and let the horror for the first time in 100 years inside the wall. “He is here. Be ready to fight.” She nods and starts keeping his focus on their group. She couldn’t help Eren right now, and she knows it but she can help preventing an unfair fight.

Hanji seems to notice his doing and slightly nods toward him and then unsuspicious to one person in their group. Berthold. Armin feels the denial appearing inside of him but his mind told him that his subtill message is speaking the truth. Berthold and Reiner were always together. They came from the same village. Still they are his friends. They trained together, practice together, had their meal together. Why? Armin doesn’t know the answer and he wont get a one soon.

Hanji´s attention is taken from their group and toward the fight as Captain Levi is taken and for the first time Armin sees Eren as something else as the boy soldier he met all those years ago. He sees him fight like a wild beast and he feels his desperation. The same he felt as he thought they would die buried under the remains of the house. Eren fight for Levi, his family. Although it isn’t a pretty sign to watch his friend killing Reiner, Armin can´t imagine what a heartbroken Eren would look like. If something would happen to Levi, Armin doubt anyone could stop him from destroying this world.

Suddenly, in the silence Berthold screams Reiner´s name and makes his horse running toward the body of his friend. Mikasa is the first to recover and starts chasing after him, followed by Hanji. “Armin keep the others here. He could hear her say.” The others look at him. Their group is growing smaller with every minute. There are only Connie, Sasha, Krista, Ymir, Jean and Marco left. Mikasa and Eren are fighting, Reiner and Berthold are their enemies.

Something is nagging him, his mind wants to tell him something and it does. There are more than two. “Stay here.” Armin shouts as he chases after Hanji.

“Hanji, there are three.” He shouts and he sees her turn. She slows down. “They were always three. Annie is another shifter.” He shouts and her eyes widen as they both heard it. The heavy footsteps of another titan. They see her in the distance. A female titan running towards them. No. Towards Berthold.

She is fast, faster as they had thought possible and she didn’t stop as she picked up Berthold without even looking if he is okay. The body of his horse is left behind a few meters later as she puts the unmoving body of Berthold into her mouth and she just runs away. He must have lost consciousness by the force of her taking him.

Nothing moves as she disappears in the distance. The area is deadly quite the only sound comes from Reiners still steaming remains and the fanatic sound of blades. Armin looks over and sees Levi work on something on Erens titan nape. Something that sparkles in the sunlight.


	39. Hurt Titan

Levi hadn’t felt the fear as the armoured titan got hold of him, ne never felt it but he saw it in Eren´s eyes. Those green blazing eyes that lost all their focus and fought for him. Now Eren isn’t moving or trying to climb out of his titan body. First Levi thought that he wasn’t to stay in it in case the other shifter appears but as the female titan appears out of nowhere and takes the other shifter away Eren hadn’t move a muscle he gets worried.

“Eren?” Levi calls out but the eyes of the titan have gone dime and lifeless, so he moves to the nabe and makes a generous cut around the area where Eren´s body should be and cuts into something hard.

Surprised and suddenly feeling fear for his titan Levi hurries up to slice away layers of skin and finds not a body underneath it but a crystal. Levi freezes and stares at the stone. Its blue and inside is … “EREN!” Levi shouts and starts hitting the crystal with the handle of his blades. “Answer me.”

He doesn’t notice the other people that come closes and only registers that he isn’t alone anymore as Erwin pulls him away. Levi wants to shout and scream and hurt the man that is taking him away from Eren but Erwin´s grip on him is like steal.

“Listen to me.” The words finally reach him and he stops fighting for a moment. “Let Hanji have a look. We need to move from here understand.” Erwin sounds as cold as ever but he let Levi go and watch as Hanji investigates the crystal structure that keeps Eren inside. She doesn’t have her manic shiny eyes on this new piece of scientistic discovery, its worry and that it what makes Levi stop.

Is he going to lose Eren? Will he be lost for him like Furlan and Isabel? Will he lose his home and family all over again? He can´t do this again. The last time it had taken a real miracle to get him out of his dark world, and this same miracle is right in front of him, imprisoned in a crystal.

Levi isn’t sure how they got back to the castle. He couldn’t recall any of the events, but they must have put the crystal with Eren in it on a carriage, him probably too and taken him away from there. Hanji must have brought them in her lab where they are right now. Levi and Eren in his crystal. Hanji had left a few minutes ago. As the door had closes his eyes had blinked and Leve started to see the room in front of him.

Standing up and walking over to Eren is hart, not physical, emotionally. He looks at Eren, really look and find blood on his boy´s face. Red stripes like tears made out of blood cover his face. The dark rings under his eyes aren’t helping his look. Even through the crystal Levi can see that Eren is pale but somehow, he knows his little titan isn’t dead.

The door opens again and Levi, who is still wearing his gear pulls out his sword, pointing it at the person or better people that came into the room. They stop and Levi notice that his vision is blurry. With his empty hand he tries to wipe the tears he hadn’t notice falling, away.

“No one is touching him. I will kill all of you.” Levi positions himself protective in front of Eren. No one would take him away. The people that had entered the room where Erwin and Hanji. Both have a look of sadness in their eyes and Levi knows that they think of the last time he had lost someone. They don’t talk about it but they know, they were with him.

Hanji seems to take control over the situation by pushing Erwin back out of the lab. “Eren is alive.” She says in a calm, soft voice he never heard before.

“I know.” Levi nearly screams, more tears threaten to fall again. How has he become so pathetic?

“I think he exhausted himself and this is his way to regain his strength again.” She points at the crystal behind him.

“Make him wake up.” Oh god, he sounds like a child that wants to change the colour of the sky.

“I can´t, you have to wait for him to get better again.” Hanji finally reaches him. Levi hadn’t notice that his sword had fallen to the ground or that she starts pulling him into his body. He doesn’t notice the warmth of her hug and the hands on his back as he allows himself to break down. All the fear he feels to end up alone again, the hurt in his soul of losing someone, the sadness that tries to swallow him. Just for this one moment he will be weak. Never again.


	40. Sleeping Titan

_Eren feels like he is floating. It´s different from flying with the 3DM gear. You are always attached to something, even when you let yourself fall. There is always one point that holds you. The same in the forest. When he jumps from branch to branch, he has always a goal. Never does he let go of it. Now he is weightless nothing bonds him to the ground. No one is holding him and Eren would call it freedom but he is missing something. He isn’t sure what but he feels empty as if he would lose something when he stays like that but he can´t remember. What would he lose staying here in the floating nothingness?_

_What is there, outside of this place, anyway? He had been alone most of his life, had never needed anyone. His forest is his home, he kills the titans that come to close and he spends his days sunbathing and jumping around the trees. What else would he need._

_…_

_Sometimes he has to make graves, sometime there are forever-sleeping people. People with sharp blades and green cloaks. Small ones that fight against the big ones. Why are they doing that. They are small and weak and get eaten and break._

_Why do small ones break so easily? Eren doesn’t want to dig out more graves. He has made so many already. Why does no one stop them from coming?_

_Eren wears one of the cloaks, his wings, the beautiful wings that would carry hi up into the sky. With the birds only to share the endless nothingness. Is he flying now? Does that mean he is free now. Why does it feel so cold?_

_…_

_Suddenly Eren opens his eyes. He is alone. Why is he alone? Where is everyone? Have they left him, why would they? Levi would never leave him. He promised, Levi is his family. He took him inside the wall, he came with him as he started military training. Levi is always with him._

_Not now. Why not, where is he? Levi promised he would never again be alone. Where is his family? Where are Mikasa and Armin? Where are his friends form the 104 th? _

_Eren feels small. Like a child, alone in the dark nights, wondering what he is and why he is different then everybody else. Is he alone again because he is different? Did Levi decide that he doesn’t want him anymore?_

_…_

_Eren rolls himself into a small ball, silent tears find their way out but he doesn’t care. Normally Eren hates tears. He doesn’t like how they make him feel. Laughing feels better, brighter like the sun. Tears are like dark rain clouds taking over the forest and make everything black._

“EREN”

_Slowly Eren opens his eyes. Did someone call him? No here is no one, he can´t see a single soul._

“Eren, please wake up. Don’t leave me alone.”

_That´s the same voice. The same voice is calling him._

“Please Eren. I need you. You are all that is left of my family. Don’t leave me.”

_That is Levi´s voice but it sounds sad, like the one night he told him about Isabel and Furlan. About their death. Is he dying?_

“Eren.”

_The voice is getting smaller, not calling out loud anymore, just a whisper. He can´t leave. Eren needs to go back, return to Levi. He needs to go back and leave his empty place. He doesn’t need to float or fly. He needs Levi and his friends. His little human is calling him._

_Eren opens his mouth and calls out. “LEVI.” Something cracks, the sky isn’t in one colour anymore, yellow lines criss-cross the whole horizon. He needs this sky to disappear. He needs to go back to Levi. “Levi, help me!” Eren calls out. The sky shatters, pieces of broken glass break and fall from the sky all around him. There is a light. A light that can only be Levi. Like a hand offering him to take it and Eren reaches out to it and hold on tight._

Eren opens his eyes and sees nothing. Everything is dark, but warm and slowly he realizes that his body is pressed against another body that is shaking and holding on to him.

“…Levi?” He wasn’t sure but who else would it be and Eren is right. He is pulled back and watery grey eyes look at him.

“You are back.” Eren has no time to answer as he is pulled into another hug. Accepting his fact Eren lifts one of his arms and uses what he has left on strength to hug Levi back.

“I´m home again.” Eren whispers and feels how Levi´s arm tighten around him.

“Shitty brat, never do that again.” Eren smiles.

“Yes, my little human, never again.” Levi didn’t protest in the name or the word little.


	41. Two are left

Hanji waits until she is sure that no one in the room is crying before she knocks at the door to enter. He had heard their voices and decided to give them a few minutes alone. These few minutes are over now.

“So how is my favourite titan?” She couldn’t help but smile as she sees them both. Eren looks still like death himself, with all the blood and pale skin but he was no longer locked inside a crystal. Progress she would call it. The pieces of the crystal lay around them and as Hanji walks over to get a better look on Eren she makes sure not to step in the pieces. Levi tries to hide his exhaustion, emotional and physical. He had been sitting on Eren´s bedside since two days without sleeping or eating anything. As soon as she is done here she will order both of them to rest (and eat in Levi´s case). Eren would get his energy as soon as the sun rises. After a good sunbathing seasion he will be fine, she can tell.

“I´m fine.” Eren answers dutifully as she feels for his pules, checks his temperature and his eyes for a reaction.

“Looks good to me. After a good night’s sleep and a bit of sun you will be perfectly fine.” Hanji looks over to Levi. “You on the other hand are in the bad book young man. I told you to eat something. You didn’t touch your food.” She pointed at the now cold soup that is standing on the table behind him.

“I´m older than you.” Levi protested but doesn’t say a thing about the food. “And I am not hungry.” Eren rolls his eyes as Levi´s stomach uses this moment to make his unhappiness about this situation clear. “Fine.” Without another word Levi takes the cold soup and eats it. Hanji wants to comment on it but keeps her mouth shut.

“I think I will go get cleaned up, I feel dirty.” Without difficulties Eren gets up to enter the bathroom. It´s amazing how fast the titan-shifter regenerates his body.

“You are dirty.” Levi comments but doesn’t follow and continues eating. “What did Erwin say about the other two?”

Hanji sighs. “We will not follow them, first we need to train the new recruits. He doesn’t want our mortality rate to go up again. Something Eren will support, you know how he hates it when humans get hurt. The recruits wait for their first training. We should start with that as soon as possible. I guess tomorrow afternoon is a good time. That gives Eren time to get his footing back and you can think of what kind of training you want to give them.” Levi listens to her without interrupting. He isn’t happy about it. She sees that but searching for two titan-shifter in such a huge area is impossible with their numbers. Especially when one of them is the colossal. They still don’t have an idea how to fight him. “You have also the great pleasure to tell them about your undercover work and Eren. The whole shifter thing was already covered. We couldn’t let them go without explaining a few things.”

Levi nods and places the empty bowl next to him. “Are they suspisous about Eren?”

“No.” Hanji smiles. Even if Levi´s mind is making great plans for hunting and killing the two shifters his first concern is with Eren. “Mikasa and Armin defused the situation before it even started. They told them that Eren saved them. That he is on humanities site.” Another nod.

“So he still has his friends. Good.” Eren choses this moment to enter the room again. Wearing an old pyjama that is definitive a few sizes to small.

“I told you to stop growing, brat.” Levi grumbles.

“I think I need new clothes. The old one doesn’t fit anymore.” After three years away from the castle that is no wonder but Hanji doesn’t say a thing about the clothes.

“Good. I will leave you alone for the night. Eren you are in charge of making sure Levi sleeps.” She ruffles Eren´s hairs and closes the door behind them. Now she has to tell Erwin that Eren is awake and that training starts tomorrow.


	42. The truth about Eren, the 104th gets a big surprise

Levi walks over to the training field. Their new recruits wait for them. Only eight new soldiers. Hopefully they really are good with Eren being a shifter but first they need to know that he is already a soldier. That´s a point his friends hadn’t told the others. For obvious reason. Eren looks and is most likely even younger than them. Who would let a child into their unite, shifter or not?

Eren is right behind him in his Survey Corps uniform, the others still wear their cadet uniforms. Erwin wants to leave them the choice before they really join. They need to see what they have to do and with whom they work together. Who can´t is free to leave.

Levi stands in front of him and he sees Armin and Mikasa smile at Eren who stops next to him. The others notice his uniform and look confused but don’t say a thing. They all salute for him and Levi has the first thing he needs them to stop doing. He has no time for them always saluting. He never does. They can do that with the others, he doesn’t care. “Attention, before we start lets get over with the introduction. I´m Captain Levi Ackermann and this is Private First Class Eren Jäger. You should all know us. We worked on an undercover mission to reveal the identity of the titan shifter.” Silence. They all stare at Eren who tries his best not to laugh. He had this rang for about three hours (official at least). Erwin could never give him any rank because he doesn’t exists, not really. All their paperwork was faked regarding Eren and his identity. “As you already know is Eren a titan-shifter, what you don´t know is that the Survey Corp has a new way of training for their soldiers. Namely you train with him.” Levi points at Eren and after a second. “As a titan.” That gets him the predicted reaction. Before they can say something, Levi continues. He hates these talks but it is necessary and he wants to finish before Hanji arrives and freaks them all out with her game CATCH THE HUMANS. “Our last real mission outside the wall three years ago had zero casualties. We had only two months of training with Eren but it dropped our mortality rate from up to 50 % to zero. I hope you understand what that means.” They slowly nod. “Good, Hanji will explain the game she invented for this training now is the last chance for you to leave. Who wants to stay gets its Survey Corps uniform after the first training. Being here means working with Eren, who is unable to do so has to go. You have five minutes than the training will start.” They all salute. “And stop that saluting you can do that with the others, I don’t care for it, we have only a limited time a day for training, don’t waste it.”

Levi steps back and let Eren alone with his friends, he waits for Hanji´s arrival, still he can hear what they stay. He wouldn’t let Eren alone with them.

Mikasa is the first that jumps into Eren´s arms, closely followed by Armin, they hadn’t seen him since the fight against Reiner and he is glad that even his wild side hadn’t frighten these kids. They would go against the other shifters and normal titans but that has time. Levi understands Erwin´s hesitation to hunt them and he has to admit their commandant is right.

Eren tells them about how he came to the wall, how he had found Levi and returned with him. About the training and that he really was a soldier before he had sign up. Eren reminds them that no one outside their unit is allowed to know things like this. One asks him what he eats and Eren explains all about the sun and that the other titans eat humans for fun.

That is the moment Hanji arrives and tells them about the game. They all look shocked, the same as the last group that got the same explanation three years ago. They should have changed the name but what can they do.

They are all armed with their wooden swords as Eren walks away a few meters to transform. The lightning was blinding as ever and as the titan stands in front of his friends, they all try not to step back. Levi knows that it can be frightened so he steps forward to show them what they have to do. It will not be the first time. And when they got a bit better the other soldiers could continue their training.


	43. Dinner

Training was … exhaustion. At least that´s what Armin would call it. Mikasa had way too much fun and the others? Armin isn’t sure what exactly they think about the whole titan-shifter-thing. He had talked them down as they had to face the fact that there were more then one titan-shifter and after Erwin gave the recruits enough information it was Armin´s task to make sure no one starts to fear or worse hate Eren. Mikasa on his side does her best but she isn’t a talker, she never was.

After the training where they played the easy version of ´catch the human´ they make their way over to the dining hall. They are all hungry. Hanji might call it a game, but it is harder then any training Levi let them do during their time as cadets. They feel it and the constant correction and lost rounds against Eren weren’t helping to lift the moral of the group.

They get their dinner and sit down, even Eren got one but this time he gives his food to Sasha so that everyone sees it. Her happy bubbling was heard in the whole dining hall. And he sees Levi on the other table rolling his eyes. Armin has to smile too. Nothing has changed and the Captain give Eren the time to talk with his friends.

“Oh that´s the reason Sasha has always a bigger portion.” Connie comment.

Eren laughs. “It´s not easy to hide the fact that I don’t eat, at the beginning Armin and Mikasa got all my food but Sasha here is far easier to fed.” They all laugh as Sasha says something with her mouth full of food.

“The safest place to get rid of food, Sasha´s hands.” Connie continues. “But honestly, you never ate anything? Not even a piece of bread or an apple. How did we not notice?”

“Can you really recall seeing someone else eating. Most days we were all tired enough to fall asleep on our dinner plates, the breakfast was ignored or taken half-sleeping and the rest was Mikasa with her deflection.” Armin answers for Eren. They had helped and now everyone was allowed to know.

“So, he really grew up with you guys.” Marco asks.

“No, he saved us. Not Captain Levi. We had to keep it a secret.” Mikasa answers in her clear voice. “He freed us from the basement we were buried and took us to the other soldiers.”

“I could smell you.” Eren says. As he sees the confused faces of his friends, he offers a few more information. “You know that titans have a better sense of smell, I used it in my human form and found them. Most of the smells in the city were older, blood dried, dead bodies already starting to rot if they didn’t get eaten but they smelled alive. I dig them out and brought them to Levi before I closed the gate with a bit rock.” Now they all stare at him.

“You closed the gate?” Krista asks amazed. They all know that the inside of Wall Maria was titan free again and the only reason for it was that they could close the gate to prevent more titans from entering.

“Yes, of course. Erwin told me to take the rock and I did it. It was a really heavy, big rock but I managed to carry it.”

“We saw it. It was amazing.” Armin offers. “He carried that thing though half of the city, there was everywhere steam around him and Captain Levi lead the way so Eren could take the shortest route. The other soldiers guarded both gates to protect him from the other titans. I have never seen something so amazing. It was like humanity won against the titans.” Armin´s eyes shine bright. He remembers this day clearly; it was that moment he had realized that finding the ocean would be something he could achieve.

“The steam came from my broken bones and tearing muscles. My titan body got crushed under the wight.” That silenced the table.

“Does it hurt?” Mikasa whispers.

“Not really, it heals, I feel it, yes but it´s something else then pain. I can´t really explain it.” Eren shrugs his shoulders.

“How old are you really.” Jean suddenly asks. “I mean you look young but as we started I thought Shadis was right, you looked like a ten year old and now I wouldn’t say you are older than 13.”

“I don’t know. As I met Levi, he said I look like a nine-year-old but before I came in contact with him and other human´s I had no real concept of time. There was no one that would have explained it to me. I knew days and nights. But that was all. There was no reason in the forest where I lived to know what month it is or that another year passed. Hanji had to explain it to me and I still find it strange to measure time.”

“Can you tell us something about the outside world.” Surprisingly Ymir asks. She stays silence most of the time except when she is talking to Krista.

“You should ask Armin about it. He told me lots of things about the outside world. That there are giant fields of sand and rivers made of fire and the ocean. All I knew was my forest. I lived their as long as I can remember. The only time I really left was as I took Levi back to the wall and he knew where we had to go.” They all stare at Armin, waiting.

“My grandfather had a book of the outside world. It was a book from the time before the walls, it shouldn’t have existed anymore but it had pictures of places that looks like magic and I want to see them all.” Armin wished the book had survived the fall of the wall but it was somewhere in Shiganshina lost until they would return to the city and even then, buried under debris, left to the forces of nature. He has little to no hope to find the book again but he might see the real thing one day. For this they have to train. More than ever before.


	44. Getting in shape

The training is going well. Their new recruits work their pretty asses off to impress Levi and win against Eren in her favourite game. Hanji has to say she is a genius. They even find new ways to improve the learn-effect. Every time they would get one level done, they have to do the same only that Levi is on Eren´s side. The most unfair combination you can think of. Even their more experienced soldier have little to no chance to win against them. It´s fun to watch and to take part in it. It also is really good training. After three years without training with Eren they all feel his improvement. Especially after he received the same education as they got as soldiers and using their fighting technics against them is just a bit unfair. In the end it will safe their life and if that is the only thing, they keep from this training it’s okay for her.

Today is another training seasion only with the new soldiers, Eren´s friends but today is different. Not a new game but they have to learn how to work with Eren as a titan. Erwin brought that idea yesterday. When they are out in the open field, there is no way for them to win on their own for a long time. So they have to learn how to use Eren as an anker, as a horse, as protection and very important communication.

Hanji had worked on sign-language for their most important signals, and of course everything else that came to her mind that needed to be communicated. One of the signs was special, only Eren and Levi know it´s meaning. And her of course. “My little human.” She taught him that first but also told him only to use it with Levi, the others wouldn’t understand, a secret. The little titan, isn’t so little anymore but still likes to join in her games. Or a secret.

She watches Levi, with his cold grey eyes and the hart drill he is working the soldiers he makes them better. He looks better. After Eren woke up a few weeks ago he started to eat and sleep again. Eren is still sleeping in the same room, most likely in the same bed as Levi. Like a parent that had nearly lost his child and need to make sure it´s still there and breathing. No one was brave enough or stupid enough to stop him and as long as Eren doesn’t mind, who was she to stop them.

Looking at Levi, she wonders if he is even aware of it. Did he know that he practical adopted Eren as he took him inside the wall? Probably not but that gives her new material to get out new emotions of the small guy.

“Brat go change, today they will learn to hold on to you.” Levi calls out as Hanji makes her way next to him. Eren walks a few meters away to transform. To her delight does no one flinch as the lightning bold hit the place where Eren was standing a second ago. “Good. Today´s training will be really easy for some and for others … let´s just say you would prefer to have a private training with me.” Oh she loves it when Levi frightens these young souls. “Good, today is for learning how to ride a titan. Where to put your cable´s best, how to stand and hold on. You have five minutes to fit all on Eren. He will run three rounds around the castle and every time someone fells of, get sick, needs a break, fells off or whatever other reason Eren need´s to slow down, the three rounds start again.” They all look at him, in shock. “Go!” Levi commands and eight teenager start to climb a titan. Eren holds out his hand so they can find the best place.

After the five minutes are done Levi shoots a green signal and Eren starts running. It doesn’t take ten steps from him to stop as Connie hands half off his arms. “That will be a long day.” Hanji comments.

“They will figure it out.” Levi says and watch them continue their running. After half around Eren is the one that picks up one of them, Marco she thinks and gets him away from his body as he get sick on the grass where Eren had put him.

“You are such a good DAD.” Hanji spells out for him and to her surprise it takes Levi a second to get what she just said, more surprisingly he doesn’t say anything about it, he looks like his is thinking. “Especially for Eren.”

“I´m not that old, Four-eye.” A weak counter but she will let him have it.

“Nice to see you know where your responsibilities lay. Picking up children and not taking care of them would be very irresponsible of you, DADDY.” Levi rolls his eyes.

“Don’t you have something better to do then tormenting me?”

“No.” She grins at him.

“Ts. Fine whatever but don´t interrupt the training.” As he says these words Eren passes them and both see that the next stop is only minutes away as Armin looks like he get´s thrown off in a second. A long day indeed.


	45. The female titan

Mikasa listens to the voice of their commander as he tells them about the upcoming mission, her eyes are on Eren. Her friend looks nervous, no not nervous, preoccupied as if his mind is somewhere else. She is worried about him, since he woke up and the training had started they didn’t have any time to really talk. Yes, he sat with them during dinner or breakfast and after a training session he would talk to them together with Levi to show them points where they can improve but they are never alone. Armin is worried too, still they didn’t get a chance to talk to Eren.

They know it´s important to train and everything and she can understand Captain Levi to keep him close after nearly losing Eren. She just wished that they had some quiet time together like they had during their cadet times.

She would like to ask how he really feels, now that everyone knows. She would be really interested in how he would be presented if the whole Reiner fiasco didn’t happen. It would have gone worse she thinks. So they had already seen Eren as a titan, see him fight and protect humans. That he ate Reiner in the end wasn’t pretty but what else should they have done.

The death of Reiner is also something she wants to talk to Eren about. He always said he protects humans and kills titans. Reiner was a shifter. Mikasa is thinking about it. What are shifter? Did Eren kill a human (and ate him) or did he kill another titan. Do they have to expand their understanding to more than human and titan.

Her mind is overflowing and even talking to Armin doesn’t help her much. For her the only important thing is that Eren and Armin are safe. She doesn’t care if they are humans or shifters or magical transform to titans and stay like that forever. As long as she is breathing her brothers will never stop doing everything she can to protect them.

The plan is simple as Commander Erwin puts it. The shifter want Eren or at least are not happy with his existence or surprised or whatever. She didn’t really pay attention. There were a lot of information missing and they work on pretty much guess work. What seems to be the norm around here and honestly, she doesn’t mind. Better then working for the king or watching gates.

The wall is titan free again so they would go to Wall Maria and if they find any prove for the whereabout of the shifter they would follow it. If not they would continue to the outside world for exploring. That is there job.

To be fair the plan was rubbish. They would use Eren as bait and that’s it. Who came up with it. Sadly she doesn’t have a better one, neither does Armin so they share a look, unhappy about it but unable to change it. Even looking forward to go outside the wall for the first time feels wrong.

After the meeting Eren waits for them. He must have watched them because his first question is, if THEY are alright.

“Yes, Eren we are fine.” Armin answers. “We are just a bit worried. Do you have nothing against being used as bait?”

Mikasa likes this confused look on Eren´s face. It makes him look like a child who doesn’t know enough of the world and want to learn all about the things he doesn’t understand but not in this situation. “I don’t mind. I can protect myself, you are there and Levi is too. He won´t let them take me.” So full of trust. No one ever really betrayed or hurt him.

… Except Reiner, Berthold and Annie. Their friends, his friends and one is dead.

“Promise us to tell me or Armin or Levi when something is wrong or you don’t feel good. Okay. We are your family and we don’t want you to get hurt.” Eren looks directly in her eyes and nods. Offered with a small smile.

“You should go to bed early, tomorrow will be a long day.” They say good-bye and watch Eren following Levi who had waited at the door for him.


	46. Doubt

As all the evenings before Eren goes with Levi to his bedroom. He knows he is old enough to sleep alone, had done it for years and still it made him feel warm inside. It´s like in the beginning where Levi was to afraid about his safety to let him alone or even before as they shared body hear in the dark forest. Eren know that he had frighten Levi with the whole crystal-sleep-thing.

Hanji had asked him if that ever happened before, it didn’t. And he wasn’t sure why it happened after the fight with Reiner. He was tired, more exhausted then ever before in his life. But a few hours of rest in the sun would have done it too. What would have Levi done when he had slept longer, for weeks or months, even years. Would he have waited at his bedside when he woke up? Would he have given up on him and buried him like Eren did with the forever-sleeping people? Or would he have moved on and forgotten about him when ten or twenty years had passed. Eren hoped for the letter, he wouldn’t wish for Levi to be sad forever. The look in Levi´s eyes told him that his wish would be unanswered. Levi would have waited or die by protecting him from whatever would come to take him away. Not a happy thought.

He has a lot of not happy thoughts since he woke up. Eren uses training to distract himself from it but there is no helping in the nights when he lays awake next to Levi, his soft breathing and the warmth his body would radiate. He knows what kind of feeling it is. It´s called regret and he felt it many times before. As he was lonely and alone in the forest, when he saw the little ones fighting and loosing. When he carries their broken bodies away to safety to give them a place to rest. For not being fast enough, not strong enough.

But there is another feeling too and it took him a while to understand it, guilt. Eren felt guilty for killing Reiner, he had never killed a human before. He even ate him. Eren´s body shattered by the thought. Reiner had been his friend. He would still call the blond giant a friend but it appears as if they were his enemies. Reiner, Annie and Berthold. Three teenager he called his friend. Who he trained together, fought together, slept together. They are his enemies because they knock down the wall and let the titans in, because they help killing humans.

Was he really better then them. He killed Reiner to protect Levi, do they protect something. If so, why won´t they talk to him or Erwin or anyone. They are shifter like him, other then titans they can talk and argue and understand with others. Why won´t they do that.

“Eren. Where are you?” He looks up and finds Levi watching him. He must have called Eren before. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” Eren shakes his head. He isn’t nervous about going outside or being the little piece of cheese in a mouse trap (thanks for that Hanji, a picture Eren will never forget again). “Can you tell me what is wrong?” Could he tell Levi, what would he tell him anyway. What is his problem, where does all the doubt come from?

Levi sits down on his bed and after a few seconds Eren follows. They lay down together and like in the forest Levi pulls him closer, hides him from the cruel world that could hurt him. “I don’t want to kill Berthold or Annie.” In a whisper the words find their way out. Eren hadn’t understand that it was this thought that hold him in it´s dark grip. He doesn’t want to kill his friends.

“You don´t have to.” Eren wants to protest but Levi stops him. “You don’t have to kill them. You don’t have to fight them, if you don’t want to. I know that killing isn’t something that should be easy and the only relieve I can offer you is that you saved me as you killed Reiner. If you hadn’t fought that day I would be dead. I´m sorry you had to kill for me but if it is any help I´m glad to be alive.” It´s not really helping but it doesn’t make it worse.

“You wouldn’t stop me when I get up now, leave and return to the forest. Deserting.” Eren feels a chuckle in Levi´s body.

“I would go with you and help you get the horses ready.” Eren smiles. Like in the forest, together or not at all. “You remember it, right. In the forest where it was only us and you ask me to take you with me to the wall. I ask you now, if you leave take me with you.” Eren would like to cry how had he deserved this man in his life. “I would have died that day we met, I was ready, more then willing to finally leave this life, but you gave me a new purpose and I will stay by your side until the end. You are my family.” Eren feels the kiss on his forehead.

“Okay.” Eren whispers back and before one of them could continue their whispered conversation Moonlight choses this moment to find her place on the bed. After Eren had returned to the castle she had taken it very personally when she isn’t allowed in the room with Eren, training was an exception.

“I see my bed is a cat bed, again.” Levi grumbles, he doesn’t mind because Eren loves his cat but the hair … sometimes could change the sheets daily. Sadly, Erwin wouldn’t allow it. Too much laundry.


	47. Between Rose and Maria

The ride to the closed gate on the next day is uneventful. They would have to face two more day´s of riding before they reach Wall Maria and Levi can´t wait to be outside again. Three years inside the wall is a punishment. With every day he notice how much he despise people. Being a teacher at the military academy helped but still, too much contact with stupid people who think they know better.

Levi has his eyes on Eren. The boy had slept last night, better then the nights before. Their talk could have helped. The insecurity as Eren asked about leaving and fighting. How had Levi not notice it? To be fair he had notice that Eren wasn’t sleeping well and that he uses every moment of the day to distract himself but that it is the thought of fighting against his friends that let him think of running away never came to Levi´s mind. What he said the day before, that he would go with Eren and fight against everyone that wants to stop them was the truth and it slowly sinks in that from one second to the next the soldiers around them could become their enemies. Levi doubts Eren´s friends, especially Mikasa and Armin would fight them, they would most likely stand by their side.

A strange thought he could be outside the wall tomorrow with three children to defend a live without walls and other people. How that would work out. Levi would be the ´adult´ in this thing, a strange thought. Maybe Hanji would go with them and play the adult … ok, better not. If she is the one responsible, they are all doomed.

They chose the direct route from the castle over the gate and through the area between wall Rose and wall Maria. Titan-free and empty of everything else. No humans live here and no one is stopping them. The only people that could be there are the two shifter that had run and are most likely hunting Eren. Before Levi met Eren, before Titan-shifter became a thing he never had thought about titans in any other way as his prey. His prey to hunt and kill before they are given the chance to do so. With Eren and the shifter abilities there are question, not only the ones Hanji is asking, or Erwin want´s answer to. No, there are more.

Where does the titans come from?

Are there more shifters, or are the three the last one?

Is there a way to make the other titan´s to shifters or are they special?

And most importantly, do titans reproduce in anyway or are there a limited number of the monster, ready to kill so that they can someday have an end to this fight.

All of Levi´s thought come to a stop as the heavy steps of a titan break though the silence of their ride on the second day. If you can call the noses of twenty horses silence. They saw her, the female titan, Annie, Eren´s friend. Levi knows her too. Of course he does, he was her instructor like he was for all the brads. For Reiner and Berthold too. Now these three children are his enemies and he has to fight against them. Capture or killing them. Anyway he won´t like it.

Suddenly to his right, a shocked noise reaches his ears and Levi looks at Eren who rides beside him. They don’t need words to communicate. Levi meets up with Eren´s eyes and he sees everything he needs to know. His little titan can´t fight her. Maybe later but not now. He is frozen and the fear in Eren´s eyes is nothing new. Levi had seen it countless times by new soldiers who thought themselves prepared to fight but can´t when they see their first titan.

“You don´t have to Eren.” Levi´s words are quiet, not more then a whisper, just for Eren. “I will fight for you. For all of them. You don’t need to.” And Levi gets ready to attack. It´s as if he feels a hand reaching for him from behind where he leaves Eren while he gets his horse closer to the titan, faster then the others. Levi will take this hand again when he is finished with this.


	48. Decision

Eren can´t move. His horse seem to feel his fear and slowed down before it came to an stop. His friends, his family continued their path toward the female titan, towards Annie. That is his friend out there, like Reiner. They are his friends he trained with them.

Annie showed him this move he used later that day on Jean, she always looks so cold but still helped them all train, made sure they become great soldiers. Eren watched her, learned from her, with her.

Reiner always made sure no one is left behind, he helped Armin with his backpack and talked to him and Eren all night, at the fire he would share stories.

Berthold, always the quiet one, the one everyone would ask why he is here to become a soldier. Who smiles his soft smile and helps the cadets that wouldn’t get their strategy homework.

They are his friends he shared his life with for three years and he killed one of them. How could he? He protected Levi and most likely all of his other friends but still there should have been a different solution. Why does he have to fight his friends and why are Levi and the rest of the 104th ok with it. They ride towards Annie. They will fight against her, try to capture her. They could get hurt. Even with all the training they did. They could die.

Eren is still frozen, and his body wouldn’t transform even when he would cut of his hand. Annie reaches the others, or they reach her, however you want to see it, there is the confrontation and Eren sees how Erwin tries the diplomatic way. He knows what he will tell her, offer her. She hadn’t kicked down the gate or broke through the other but Eren sees it in her eyes that are fixed on him. She is not interested in anything that mankind offers her.

She begins moving over to him, trying to reach him and in horror Eren watches Levi attack her, sees Hanji too. Sees Armin and Mikasa and the rest of the 104th and all the other soldiers defend him. They will get hurt. They will be get killed.

Annie pushed them away, smacks after them like flies that are in her way. She pulls cables out of her body before the soldiers can reach the hight they need to attack. She kicks horses out of the way and stumps with her strong feet on the ground to shake everyone who is standing and bring them down on the grass.

There are broken blades shattered at her nape, she must be protected and even Levi´s dangerous fighting style doesn’t seem to stop her fast enough and she reaches him. Her hands feel different, he can´t say he had touched many titans as a human but their skin feels warm and like human skin, just warmer but soft and so, so human. Her hand is different, her skin is different it feels like raw muscle and bones. She lifts him up and their eyes meet.

Whatever she wants to do is stopped by Levi, attacking her without thinking or bothering about his own life as he cuts through her arm and fingers to get Eren out of her grip. Eren sees his desperation as he tries to pull of the strong finger that hold him tight.

Eren screams a warning as Annie´s hand catches Levi before he can do anything and he sees that his little human isn’t touched as gentle as he is.

Levi screams in pain.


	49. Fight

Pain fills his mind. He just needed another second and Eren would be free where does all the pain come from?

Oh.

Right, Levi could hit himself with his own blade. The female titan caught him. Eren tried to warn him and now is this big ugly titan crushing his body in her hands. It takes him a second to understand that the pressure isn’t rising anymore. Levi feels one or two of his rips crack and he is pretty sure he cut his leg with his own blade as her and closes around him.

Someone screams.

And Levi notice that it was him and he stops, gritting his teeth and he tries to slow down his breathing. Breathing through the pain and opens his eyes. There he is catches in another titan´s hand. He should stop doing that. He is not a fan of getting handled like this. It´s an exception when Eren carries him, but Eren is always an exception. For everything. Speaking of his titan, where is he?

Levi searches for the second hand and finds Eren staring at him in fear. Oh, that is not only fear, but there is also anger. Too much anger to be good. He tries his best to smile. Another fight like the one with Reiner, ending with Eren killing his friend is nothing he wants on his conscious.

“I´m fine.” Levi tries to sound resuming. Even when the pain in his rips isn’t helping. At least she had stopped squeezing him.

“Let him go.” Eren demands and his voice is hoarse as if he had been screaming at her for some time. It could be the reason she stopped the squeezing. He hoped that they will survive that without further physical or mental damage.

She shakes his head and as she looked at him Levi feels as if he is some speck of dirt on someone´s clothe, not worth to exist and in the way. Yes, she will kill him and it hit Levi that he really mind this time.

Suddenly the light of Eren´s transformation hit them and the energy of it throws them back. It seems as if Eren had seen it too and made his choice. To his surprise it´s not the neck Eren attacks this time, not like the fight with Reiner. Eren jumps her and pins her down, his hands holding her down but his mouth quickly attacks the arm that is holding on to Levi. The sickening sound of breaking bones and torn flesh reaches his ears and Levi feels himself fall. Still inside the hand. Hitting the ground could have been worse but with the female titan on the ground it were only a few meter.

Levi starts to pull himself out of the bit off hand, Armin is at his side to help him. The blond had recovered quickly enough to close the distance between the fight and where he had been thrown to the ground. Me must have landed softly, in some muddy puddle because all his clothes are dirty. Hanji follows close behind and as Levi got out of the hand she tend to his leg, he really had cut himself.

Meanwhile Eren is wrestling with Annie, using all his techniques he had learned during training and a few, more dirty ones that Levi had taught him. Levi sees the power behind the punches Eren gives and knows who will win. That doesn’t make it right. Why has Eren to kill his friends. Why did his friends betray him like this. Or was it that Eren is the wrong one. He is a shifter, he is different for some reason grew up without them. What makes them different, was is right?

Question over question fill Levi´s mind as he holds on to his body trying to still his movement to less the pain. There is nothing he could do. Nothing the others could do with the nape of her pressed against the ground and the two titans fighting. Why has it to be Eren. If he could he would do it.

Annie tries to get up and gets pushed down again, her bit off hand healed and with now two working hands she tries to pull Eren off of her. The fight seems to take ages but couldn’t be more than a few minutes. The titan´s run out of steam and Levi sees her giving in. Involuntary.

Her body seem to fall in on itself, broken parts don’t heal, they start to steam and her whole skeleton seem to dissolve.

“Eren, her titan body is dying. Get her out of there.” Hanji shouts beside him. Eren looks at her for a second before he turns her around, nape exposed. Mikasa jumps up to them offered Eren her help by cutting her out, more careful as his titan fingers would manage. The blade breaks and Levi is reminded of the last time two titan-shifter fought. Mikasa does her best to get the crystal out and Eren carries it over to them.

There she was, Annie, Eren´s friend, his pupil, a prisoner inside the stone. Who knows how long it will take her to wake up again. She looks worse then Eren as he was inside that thing and he was bad. Before anyone could more another figure appears out of nowhere. With the fighting and the noises no one notice that the other shifter was also there, in his human form.

With hands lift over his head Berthold walked over to them. “I´m not here to fight. I never wanted to fight.”


	50. Conversation

Armin looks at the group of people that is surrounding him. The commandant, captain Levi who is clearly in pain, Hanji and Eren who try to fuss over him and the rest of the 104th. They are all here to listen to whatever information Berthold has to offer. The other soldier are busy getting their camp ready for the night but they are allowed to stay. Armin wonders why Erwin let´s them stay, they are the new recruits. No one that is important but he guesses that the commandant sees no different because Eren stays and he would tell them anyway.

Berthold has his arms tied behind his back. He had even offered it to make them feel more save. They know he is the colossal titan. Taller as the wall and his transformation would probably kill them all. But the shifter is calm, sad but calm, like always.

Annie is in her crystal, Hanji had a look at her but she couldn’t really tell how long she would stay in it. Berthold told them that it would take some time and offers in the same sentence all the information he has about titans, shifters and whatever else they would ask of him. To Armin´s surprise it´s Levi who asks the first question.

“What do you want in return for this information?” A grim look covers the smaller man´s face.

“My best friend is dead, I never wanted to fight and Annie is sleeping. I have no where to go and never wanted to hurt anyone.” He answers.

“Fine, then let us hear what you can tell us.” Levi let himself sit back and rest against Eren.

“I guess I could start with how titan-shifter were created or better who the titans came to be.” They were all silence. No one knew that it was this kind of heavy information their friend has to offer. Hanji has a wild look in her eyes and holds a notebook with a pen, ready to write down every word Berthold has to offer. “It all started as human´s created a new drug, a special drug that should made them stronger and faster and better. Shortly said a drug to create super-humans. The experiment to improve humanity was a disaster and the drug turned humans into titans. There were only a few, the ones that were the test subjects.” Berthold sighs but continues. “There was an accident and the drug found it´s way into the air and poisoned hundred of people. Everyone effected got turned into a titan.”

“Does that mean there is a limited number of titan´s?” Erwin asks and Berthold nods.

“Now we come to the shifters. A titan-shifter is born from a woman that is pregnant at the moment she is turned into a titan. The pregnancy takes hundred of years but when the children are born their mothers turn back into humans to take care of the babies. There children have the ability to change between forms. They keep their human mind and don’t have the needs of a human body. The mother of this child has around five to six years to care for the child before she dies.” Berthold looks at Annie. “I always thought there are only us three. Our mothers lived together after we were born, all in the same year. We never knew that there was another one. Our parents didn’t like the wall and the people in it. They blamed them for their existence out in the titan infected place and they wanted their revenge. They didn’t knew they would die and as we children were alone we had nothing better to do than follow the plan our mothers had thought off. Not that we knew any better.”

“I think there was a man.” Everyone looks at Eren. “I can´t really remember but I think there was a man as I grew up. He taught me things like digging graves and tending to wounds but I don’t remember my mother.” Strange things to teach a child but who knows what the man were thinking.

“We have no idea where you come from, you are younger than us. But what difference does it make by a pregnancy that takes hundreds of years. Maybe you are just the youngest. The man could be someone that came from the wall. I doubt you will ever find out and I know nothing about it. I´m sorry." Berthold offers.


	51. What a small child can do for the future

The information provided by the titan-shifter are unbelievable. Erwin had never thought that they would get so much out of Berthold Hoover. He had never thought that mankind would learn so much in his lifetime let alone in a single afternoon. The new information changes everything and nothing at all, he realises. They know now where the titan´s come from. Why there are the shifters. That there are only three left. But the most important information is this. Their numbers are limited.

There is a chance that there will be a world without them. A goal they can reach for. Sadly there is no total number of titan´s they can expect but from what he can get out of the young man, there aren’t many left. Maybe 100, 200. Even if there are more. Their numbers are limited.

That is the only thought that kept Erwin going on with their normal mission. They would start today. He send a few of the soldiers back, together with Annie in her crystal and Berthold. Both will have to face justice for their crimes. Berthold asked to stay with her. To talk to her if … when she wakes up. To make sure she wouldn’t start another attack. The young man seem not to mind to spend his future in a prison cell next to a crystal. But he must have known that he had given up on his freedom the second he surrounded himself to them after the fight with the female titan.

If Erwin wasn’t so aware of all the sorrow and death he had brought on them by kicking in the wall he would feel bad for the young man. Influenced by people and without the opportunity to make up your own mind, being forced into a fight that has nothing to do with these children.

That’s what they are children. All of them and Erwin uses young soldiers since the moment he became the commandant without any regret. Since they had Eren join, another child far too young to be a participant in a war the numbers of death on his conscious have decreased, still the scars that stay behind on the living are nothing to make fun of it.

Erwin looks at the new recruits around him. They are young. Some have seen the horror of war already but their eyes are clear. They see a future he can only dream of to see. Whatever happens next, they are the ones that will life in it. Hopefully one day there will be children born that grew up without knowing the fear of the monsters that wait behind a giant wall to eat them. The titans will become stories, fables and fairy tales to frighten children into eating their vegetables. There is a future without them and Erwin will make sure that mankind will survive long enough to see that. Day.

For tonight they will sleep on top of Wall Maria. After a long day of riding, they have reached the wall. His soldiers need the rest and they need to get the horses over the wall. With the giant Rock blocking the wall, there is still no gate that could be used for easy exist. Erwin watches Eren and his friends showing the others of the 104th where they had been buried alive and told the real story of how they closed the whole. Erwin smiles slightly, the first real win against the titans only possible because one of his soldiers got hurt and found a strange child in the middle of the forest. No, because this soldier was found by the child. The child that gave humans strongest warrior a reason to life, a reason to fight and hope again. Thanks to this child that had lived alone in a forest far away from the place he helps daily to save and secure a better future.


End file.
